Ousmane Dembélé scores hat-trick during Norway-France and becomes third French player to score three goals in FIFA World Cup match

France forward Ousmane Dembele scored a hat-trick during Friday’s Group I match against Norway in Boston during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

He needed just 32 minutes to complete the three goals, making him only the third French player to score a treble at the World Cup. Kylian Mbappé and Just Fontaine are the only other players from France to achieve this feat.

Fontaine, the legendary French striker, scored two hat-tricks during the 1958 World Cup, against Paraguay and West Germany. Mbappe’s hat-trick came in the 2022 World Cup final against Argentina, which France lost on penalties after a 3-3 draw.

Dembele’s hat-trick is also the first since 1994 to be completed in the first half. He got going in the seventh minute with a right-footed shot that went into the left corner. He hit the left corner again in the 20th minute with a shot from outside the penalty area and completed his hat-trick 12 minutes later with a curling shot past the Norwegian keeper.

In this edition, Dembélé’s hat-trick was the second, after Canadian Jonathan David scored the first against Qatar in Group B.

Published on June 27, 2026