MASSACHUSETTS: France captain Kylian Mbappe etched his name deeper into football history as he equalled Miroslav Klose for the second-most goal involvements in FIFA World Cup history since 1966, with 20 (16 goals and 4 assists).
Only legendary Lionel Messi sits ahead of him with 26. Mbappe, the second-highest goal scorer in the history of the FIFA World Cup, failed to score in his side’s clash against Norway but played a supporting role, providing two excellent assists for Ousmane Dembele, as per OptaJose.
Dembele’s outstanding hat-trick powered France to a commanding 4-1 victory over Norway in their FIFA World Cup 2026 Group I match in Boston on Friday. Both sides had already secured qualification for the knockout stages after winning their opening two matches.
France topped the group on goal difference heading into the fixture and required only a draw to finish first. However, they emphatically ended the group stage, sealing a commanding victory to confirm top spot in Group I.
The Ballon d’Or winner opened the scoring in the 7th minute with a brilliant finish before doubling his tally in the 20th minute with a stunning strike from outside the box. Norway responded almost immediately through Thelo Aasgaard in the 21st minute, briefly reducing the deficit.
However, Dembele restored France’s cushion in style, completing his hat-trick in the 32nd minute with a powerful finish to make it 3-1. His treble is the first first-half hat-trick at a FIFA World Cup in the 21st century.
Norway had a chance to claw its way back into the contest in the second half, but striker Jorgen Strand Larsen missed a penalty, further compounding their frustration in a difficult outing.
France winger Desire Doue then applied the finishing touch as he smashed the 4th goal in the 94th minute. The 21-year-old scored with a brilliant header after an excellent cross by his PSG teammate Bradley Barcola from the left.
Norway finished second in Group I to set up a round-of-32 game against the Ivory Coast in Dallas. Meanwhile, France will remain on the East Coast and face a third-place qualifier. (ANI)
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