Erling Haaland, right, of Norway greets Rayan Cherki of France before their group I at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Both players play for Manchester City in England.
Ousmane Dembele produced his best ever Fifa World Cup performance with a stunning first-half hat-trick in France's 4-1 win over Norway on Friday, and then insisted it was his least impressive performance of this year's tournament so far.
The 29-year-old Paris Saint-Germain forward showcased the lethal finishing which saw him win last year's Ballon d'Or as he netted three times in the space of 26 first-half minutes at the Gillette Stadium near Boston.
His goals, as well as a late Desire Doue header, allowed France to complete the first round with three wins out of three after earlier victories against Senegal and Iraq.
They progress to the last 32 as Group I winners, and there is clear evidence that France can be contenders to win the World Cup even if Kylian Mbappe is not scoring the goals.
