France crushes Norway 4-1 to top World Cup group, honor Deschamps

France ended the group stage with force and restraint, beating Norway 4-1 in Boston to finish first in Group I and keep its World Cup run on a winning line. Ousmane Dembélé struck three times in 25 minutes for his first international hat trick, Désiré Doué added the fourth in stoppage time, and France closed the first round with three wins from three for the first time at a World Cup since 1998.

The result strengthened France’s credentials as a title contender, but the mood around the team remained defined by Didier Deschamps’ absence. The France coach left the camp on June 23 after learning of his mother’s death, and the French Football Federation confirmed he would miss training and would not be on the bench against Norway. Guy Stéphan took charge in his place, guiding a side that was already qualified but still needed at least a draw to secure top spot.

Stéphan said he had been thinking about Deschamps and his family while trying to keep the environment “as normal as possible” in difficult circumstances. Aurélien Tchouaméni said the squad wanted to make Deschamps “as proud as possible,” a message that matched the controlled tone around the team despite the scoreline. France did not turn the evening into a celebration; it treated the match as one more step in a tournament built on discipline as much as attacking power.

Norway arrived with a reshuffled lineup of its own. Ståle Solbakken left Erling Haaland on the bench and made 10 changes to his starting XI, signaling a match that was as much about rotation as stakes. France made four changes from its previous line-up, including a defensive switch after William Saliba was ruled out with back discomfort, opening the door for Maxence Lacroix.

Even so, the football quickly tilted one way. Dembélé, who had already been central to France’s opening movements, tore through Norway’s defense and finished his first-half treble inside 25 minutes. Kylian Mbappé was involved in the early stages but did not score, while Doué completed the scoring deep into added time to stretch the margin to 4-1. The victory sent France into the knockout stage as group winner, with a performance that underlined both the team’s depth and how strongly it still revolves around the man who was not there.