2026 World Cup: Norway Falls Apart Against France; Senegal Crushes Iraq and Holds Out Hope

Group I of the 2026 World Cup wrapped up with two blowout victories, living up to the theoretical predictions but far exceeding them in terms of the margins of victory. France secured first place in the group by burying a complacent Norway—with ten starters on the bench—in an all-too-telling 4-1 victory (the reference to “Viking Row” is no coincidence). With Haaland out for the entire match, Dembélé ran riot, scoring a hat trick. Senegal, meanwhile, crushed the hapless Iraq 5-0, relaunching their bid in the “mini-league” of the top third-place finishers.

After Mbappé hit the crossbar, Dembélé immediately put France ahead by converting his captain’s assist in the 7th minute. The second goal came in the 20th minute and featured the same duo, but this time the PSG forward pulled off a true feat of skill. Norway’s response paid off as early as the 21st minute, when Aasgaard received a pass from Schjelderup and beat Maignan. By the 32nd minute, however, Dembélé scored his third goal of the match—and the team’s third—off a pass from Tchouameni. The Scandinavians squandered a chance to pull one back in the 50th minute, when Bobb earned a penalty that Strand Larsen saw saved by a sensational Maignan. In the 94th minute, Desiré Doué sealed the victory, assisted by Barcola.

Senegal’s victory was even more decisive. They kicked off their stellar performance in the 4th minute when Diarra made the most of Seck’s assist to score the first goal against Iraq, who lost Sulaka to a straight red card as early as the 13th minute. In the second half, Sarr in the 56th minute, Gueye with a brace in the 59th and 71st minutes, and Ndiaye in the 82nd minute sealed a victory whose margin could keep the Lions of Teranga’s qualification hopes alive: they are fifth among the eight third-place teams advancing to the round of 16, and only five teams can still mathematically overtake them.

It should be noted that France’s victory was achieved without head coach Didier Deschamps, who was forced to return home due to a serious family bereavement: his mother, Ginette, passed away at the age of 86. Assistant coach Guy Stephan therefore led the Bleus from the bench at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, guiding the team with a steady hand toward a victory that secured first place in the group. This was a remarkable display of collective maturity, given the circumstances.

The undisputed star of the night for the French team was Ousmane Dembélé, the reigning Ballon d’Or winner, who carried his teammates with a top-notch performance. This isn’t the first time the PSG forward has stood out in this World Cup: in the first two matches, he had already played a decisive role in the victories over Senegal and Iraq, proving he’s in exceptional form. In the weeks leading up to the tournament, he was the one who publicly defended Mbappé against criticism: “The criticism directed at him is very, very unfair. Some people really go overboard with Kylian. As his friend, I can’t help but step in personally to defend him,” he told *Marca*.

For Mbappé—who hit the crossbar early on and provided a key assist for Dembélé’s first goal—the evening reaffirmed his role as a driving force even when he isn’t the one finding the back of the net. The captain of Les Bleus enters these Round of 16 matches with 16 total goals in World Cup history, ranking second all-time, two goals behind Lionel Messi, who leads the standings with 18 goals. The race for the all-time World Cup scoring record is more wide open than ever.

For Senegal, the decisive 5-0 victory over Iraq marks a true resurgence following the disappointments of the first two matchdays, during which the Lions of Teranga had lost to both France and Norway. The Sarr-Jackson-Mané trio, which had long been goalless throughout the tournament, finally found the back of the net, with Sarr in particular breaking his scoring drought in convincing fashion. It’s a breath of fresh air for head coach Pape Thiaw, who now confidently awaits the results from the other groups to learn his team’s fate in the race for the round of 16.