France secured the top spot in their group following a dominant 4-1 victory against Norway at Boston Stadium. The highly anticipated clash between Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland did not materialize as expected, with Haaland starting on the bench for the first time since 2024. Instead, Ousmane Dembele stole the spotlight by scoring a rapid hat-trick within the first 25 minutes.
With Norway already qualified for the knockout rounds, manager Stale Solbakken implemented significant squad rotation, making 10 changes to his starting lineup. Solbakken explained that the decision was a practical necessity driven by medical advice and the physical exhaustion of his key players following their previous fixture against Senegal. While the move sparked frustration among traveling fans who hoped to see stars like Haaland and Martin Odegaard, the coach emphasized that protecting his players’ health was his primary focus.
France, guided by assistant coach Guy Stephan in the temporary absence of Didier Deschamps, displayed superior quality throughout the match. By topping the group, France remains at the New York New Jersey Stadium for their next fixture, while Norway faces an arduous 1,100-mile journey to Arlington, Texas, for a match against the Ivory Coast. Analysts remain divided on the strategy; while some praised the caution shown by Norway, others questioned if the lack of cohesion and physical presence, typically provided by their regular starters, left them too vulnerable against a potent French attack.
