Erling Haaland sits out as France defeats Norway in World Cup group clash

France secured the top position in Group I of the 2026 World Cup on Friday, 26 June 2026, by defeating a rotated Norway side at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The match, which served as the final group stage contest for both teams, saw France emerge victorious while Norway opted to rest several of its marquee players. Both teams had already clinched berths in the round of 32 prior to kickoff.

France played without manager Didier Deschamps, who traveled to France following the death of his mother. Assistant Guy Stephan oversaw the squad in his absence. Before the match commenced, both teams gathered at the midfield circle to observe a moment of silence for the victims of the earthquakes that struck Venezuela on 24 June 2026.

The highly anticipated showdown between superstars Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland did not materialize in the starting lineups. Haaland, who had scored four goals in Norway’s opening two victories, began the match on the bench. Norway manager Ståle Solbakken made 10 outfield changes from his previous lineup, also benching captain Martin Ødegaard, Kristoffer Ajer, Antonio Nusa, and goalkeeper Orjan Nyland, who was replaced by Egil Selvik.

France’s Ousmane Dembélé dominated the first half, scoring three goals in 32 minutes to record the 57th hat trick in World Cup history. Dembélé opened the scoring with a right-footed strike, followed by two left-footed goals. Norway managed a brief response in the 21st minute through Thelo Aasgaard. Despite persistent pressure from the Norwegian side, which included a missed penalty kick by Jorgen Strand Larsen that was saved by French goalkeeper Mike Maignan, the French maintained their lead. Dembélé was substituted for Bradley Barcola in the 65th minute.

The intensity of the match remained high despite the lineup changes. France controlled 61% of the possession and registered 14 attempts on goal compared to Norway's four. French defender Dayot Upamecano was replaced by Ibrahima Konate during the proceedings, and Aurelien Tchouameni received a yellow card for a challenge near midfield.

Following this result, France advances to the round of 32 as the winner of Group I. Norway, finishing as the group runner-up, is scheduled to face Ivory Coast in the round of 32.

In other group action, Senegal defeated Iraq in a concurrent match, though the result did not alter the top two standings in Group I. With the conclusion of the group stage, the focus for both France and Norway now shifts to the elimination phase, where both teams aim to continue their campaigns.