France moved into the World Cup last 32 as Group I winners after a 4-1 victory over Norway, highlighted by an Ousmane Dembele hat-trick and achieved without head coach Didier Deschamps, whose absence at Boston Stadium followed the death of Deschamps’ mother earlier in the week.

Assistant coach Guy Stephan took charge on the touchline and praised a display that combined sharp attacking play with periods of control, while also stressing that Deschamps’ situation weighed heavily on the squad and that players were determined to perform for the absent head coach.

Dembele struck twice inside the opening 20 minutes, giving France a seventh-minute lead before adding a second 13 minutes later, which made Dembele the first France player to score two goals within the first 20 minutes of a World Cup match, setting the tone against a Norway side caught out by the tempo.

Norway responded quickly through Thelo Aasgaard, who finished neatly to reduce the deficit, yet Dembele completed a clinical hat-trick by the 32nd minute, registering the second-earliest treble in World Cup history and restoring France’s two-goal cushion before half-time, with the contest already leaning heavily in France’s favour.

France’s four goals against Norway mean the team have now scored at least three times in four successive World Cup fixtures, equalling the longest sequence by any nation for matches with three or more goals and matching the previous benchmark set by Spain between 1998 and 2002.

This attacking consistency also secured first place in Group I, leaving France on track to meet Sweden in the last 32 based on current standings, with the scoring form offering confidence but also heightening expectations as the World Cup moves into the knockout phase in North America.

France World Cup display balances praise and warnings

Stephan balanced his praise for the team with a clear reminder that standards must keep rising as the tournament level increases, pointing out that some phases of the game showed lapses that could prove costly when facing stronger opposition later in the World Cup knockout rounds.

“There was a lot of enjoyment in the way we played, plenty of intensity and plenty of chances. We scored four goals,” Stephan added. “Ousmane got a hat-trick and Desire Doue scored the first headed goal of his career. Those are all positive things, and we need to build on them. That said, there were also moments when we weren’t quite at our best, and we need to iron those out. The further we go in this tournament, the stronger the opposition will be. We have to stay alert. We’re happy, we’ll enjoy this win, but tomorrow it’s back to work with Didier.”

France World Cup night marked by support for Deschamps

Beyond the scoreline, Stephan underlined that the performance carried emotional weight for the squad, with Deschamps due to rejoin the group in training and players feeling a strong connection with the coach during a difficult personal moment while France continued their World Cup campaign.

“Obviously, all my thoughts go to Didier. I will call him later. We are all happy that he will be back with the team shortly. He will be at training tomorrow afternoon,” Stephan said. “All the players did what they had to do. Given that they are very close to Didier, the players wanted to do something special today on the pitch.”