Ousmane Dembele delivered a stunning first-half hat-trick to power France to a commanding 4-1 victory over Norway in FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying, securing top place in Group I.

Dembele's treble arrived entirely inside the opening 45 minutes, leaving Norway — who were without the injured Erling Haaland — without a meaningful answer. A consolation goal gave the scoreline a slightly more respectable look, but France were never troubled.

The result lifts France to the summit of Group I, underlining their credentials as one of Europe's strongest sides in the race to reach the 2026 tournament.

Norway, shorn of their talismanic striker Haaland, struggled to generate the cutting edge that has made them such a dangerous proposition in recent campaigns. Without their captain and top scorer, the hosts looked a different proposition entirely against a clinical French outfit.

France, by contrast, were ruthless. Dembele — operating with freedom and pace in attack — punished Norway's defensive lapses with the kind of finishing that reminded the footballing world why he remains among the most lethal forwards on the planet.

The first-half blitz set the tone for the evening, and France's superior quality was never in doubt. With qualification for the FIFA World Cup 2026 firmly in their sights, Les Bleus appear to be hitting top form at precisely the right moment.