France Leads Norway 3-1 as Dembélé Fires World Cup Hat Trick

Q: Was resting star player Haaland a strategic masterstroke by Norway, or a cowardly move that will cost them the World Cup?

It was a calculated gamble, not a cowardly move, but one that has already made Norway’s World Cup path harder. The facts are clear: Norway had already qualified, and coach Ståle Solbakken chose to rest Haaland and nine other regular starters to preserve energy and reduce injury risk before the knockout stage. In a long tournament, that logic is defensible. Solbakken said the Round of 32 mattered more than chasing first place, and Haaland himself reportedly accepted the team-first approach. But the immediate cost was significant. Norway lost 3-1 to France, surrendered top spot in Group I, and now face Ivory Coast in Dallas rather than taking the easier route awarded to the group winner. The broader bracket also appears tougher, with stronger opponents potentially waiting earlier. France, by winning the group, earned a more favorable draw. There was also a competitive downside beyond the bracket. Norway lost momentum, Haaland missed a chance to stay in the Golden Boot race, and the team gave up the psychological opportunity to test itself at full strength against one of the tournament favorites. Dembélé’s first-half hat trick exposed how vulnerable the rotated side was. So the decision was strategically coherent, but it cannot yet be called a masterstroke. It will only look wise if a fresher Norway now makes a deep run. If they exit early, this match will be remembered as the moment they traded a better path for rest and got punished immediately.

3 articles · Updated · The Boston Globe · Jun 26

France held a 3-1 lead over Norway at the second-half hydration break in Foxborough, with Ousmane Dembélé scoring all three goals before halftime.
Dembélé struck in the sixth minute, added a second in the 22nd, and completed his hat trick just after the half-hour mark as France overwhelmed a rotated Norwegian side.
Norway briefly answered through Thelo Aasgaard to make it 2-1, but Jorgen Strand Larsen then missed a key chance to pull within one when Mike Maignan saved his second-half penalty.
The Group I finale will decide first place even though both teams had already advanced; the winner gets a third-place opponent Tuesday, while the runner-up faces Ivory Coast.