2026 World Cup Group I: France clinches top spot as Erling Haaland sits for Norway; Senegal helps fight for third-place spot
Ousmane Dembélé netted the second-fastest hat trick in World Cup history, all in the first half, as France dominated a much-changed Norway side 4-1 on Thursday to win Group I.
After making 10 changes to its starting lineup, including sitting Erling Haaland and captain Martin Ødegaard, Norway was put on the back foot immediately.
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France sent an early message after Kylian Mbappé hit the cross bar in the first 21 seconds. The scoring would begin seven minutes later as Dembélé would start his march to a first-half hat trick after being left alone on the right flank.
In the 20th minute, Dembélé was again given time and space to create by the Norway defense and made his opponents pay.
Norway would get on the board 81 seconds after Dembélé’s second goal to cut the France lead to 2-1. That one-goal deficit would last all of 11 minutes as the reigning Ballon d’Or winner would get his hat trick with another left-footed curler.
Dembélé’s hat trick after 32 minutes is only behind Austria‘s Erich Probst, who netted three times in 24 minutes during the 1954 World Cup against Czechoslovakia. The Paris Saint-Germain winger is now only the third player to net a hat trick at a men’s World Cup joining Just Fontaine (twice in 1958) and Kylian Mbappé (2022).
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The three goals puts Dembélé into a tie with Mbappé, Brazil‘s Vinícius Júnior and Haaland in the Golden Boot race. Argentina‘s Lionel Messi leads all players with five goals.
In the other Group I match, Senegal helped its cause for a Round of 32 place by rolling over 10-man Iraq 5-0. Habib Diarra put Senegal ahead after four minutes and Ismaïla Sarr and Pape Gueye scored three minutes apart in the second half.
Gueye would score again 12 minutes later and Iliman Ndiaye netted the Lions of Teranga’s fifth of the match 11 minutes after that.
Iraq played the final 80 minutes down a man after defender Rebin Sulaka was given a red card for a Denial of a Goal Scoring Opportunity foul on Sadio Mané in the 10th minute.
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Group I table, results
|
W |
D |
L |
GD |
GF |
TCS |
Pts |
||
|
1 |
France |
3 |
0 |
0 |
8 |
10 |
-1 |
9 |
|
2 |
Norway |
2 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
8 |
-1 |
6 |
|
3 |
Senegal |
1 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
8 |
-2 |
3 |
|
4 |
Iraq |
0 |
0 |
3 |
-11 |
1 |
-8 |
0 |
Tuesday, June 16: France 3, Senegal 1
Tuesday, June 16: Norway 4, Iraq 1
Monday, June 22: France 3, Iraq 0
Monday, June 22: Norway 3, Senegal 2
Friday, June 26: France 4, Norway 1
Friday, June 26: Senegal 5, Iraq 0
Who will group France, Norway play in knockout round?
Group I winner: France
Matchup: France vs. 3rd-place team from Group C, D, F, G or H
Time: 5 p.m. ET
Date: Tuesday, June 30
Location: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
Group I runner-up: Norway
Matchup: Norway vs. Ivory Coast (Group E runner up)
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Date: Tuesday, June 30
Location: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
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Will third-place team make knockout round?
Senegal’s win secures third position in Group I and as the best of the third-place teams on three points in the tournament. Croatia and Algeria, who have also earned three points, each have a match remaining. Only the top eight third-place teams will qualify for the Round of 32 after World Cup group play concludes on Saturday.
Can Group I produce a World Cup winner?
France won the 2018 World Cup and came within a Randal Kolo Muani extra-time scoring chance and a penalty shootout from beating Argentina in 2022 for a second straight title. Didier Deschamps’ team is loaded, full of depth and features two of the best players in the world in Mbappé and Dembélé. Anything short of reaching the final would be considered a massive disappointment.
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