France delivered a dominant performance to defeat Norway 4-1 and finish top of Group I in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while Senegal produced one of the biggest wins of the tournament with a convincing 5-0 victory over Iraq.
The French side wasted little time in asserting their dominance as Ousmane Dembele opened the scoring in the seventh minute after receiving an excellent pass from captain Kylian Mbappe.
France continued to apply pressure, and the partnership between Mbappe and Dembele proved decisive once again in the 20th minute. Mbappe provided another assist, allowing Dembele to score his second goal of the match and put France firmly in control.
Norway responded quickly and reduced the deficit just a minute later. Thelo Aasgaard found the back of the net after being set up by Andreas Schjelderup, giving the Scandinavian side hope of mounting a comeback.
However, France restored their two-goal advantage before halftime. In the 32nd minute, Aurelien Tchouameni delivered a precise pass to Dembele, who completed his hat-trick with a composed finish.
The French midfield controlled possession throughout the match, while their attacking players constantly created problems for the Norwegian defense.
Tchouameni was shown a yellow card during the second half, but France continued to dominate proceedings with quick passing and intelligent movement.
Substitute Desire Doue added the fourth goal deep into stoppage time after receiving an assist from Bradley Barcola in the 90+4th minute, sealing an impressive victory for the former world champions.
Dembele emerged as the standout performer of the encounter, scoring three goals and causing problems for Norway’s defense throughout the game. Mbappe also impressed with two assists and his leadership in attack.
Norway battled hard but struggled to recover after conceding three goals in the opening half. Despite the defeat, they managed to qualify for the knockout stage as group runners-up.
The victory secured first place for France in Group I and guaranteed their place in the Round of 32, where they will face the third-placed team from Group F.
Meanwhile, Norway advanced as the second-placed team and will meet the runners-up from Group E in the next stage of the competition.
Elsewhere, Senegal recorded a remarkable 5-0 victory over Iraq, producing one of the tournament’s most convincing performances and sending a strong message ahead of the knockout rounds.
With the group stage coming to an end, both France and Senegal have established themselves as serious contenders as the tournament enters its decisive phase.
Senegal Thrash Iraq 5-0 to Keep World Cup Knockout Hopes Alive
Senegal produced a dominant display to defeat Iraq 5-0 in their final Group I match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, keeping alive their hopes of reaching the knockout stage as one of the tournament’s best third-placed teams.
The Teranga Lions started the match brightly and took the lead in the fourth minute when Habib Diarra found the back of the net after receiving an excellent pass from Alpha Seck.
Iraq’s difficulties increased as the game progressed after defender Rebin Sulaka was shown a red card, reducing his side to 10 men. Alpha Seck was also cautioned during the encounter as the game became increasingly difficult for the Iraqi side.
Despite their numerical advantage, Senegal remained patient and continued to dominate possession while creating several opportunities in attack.
Their efforts paid off early in the second half when Ismaila Sarr doubled the lead in the 56th minute after a well-worked move involving Lamine Camara.
Senegal continued to press forward, and Papa Gueye added the third goal after receiving an assist from Sarr. The midfielder later scored his second goal of the match, once again benefiting from another excellent delivery by Sarr.
Iliman Ndiaye completed the scoring in the 82nd minute after being set up by Gueye, putting the finishing touches on one of Senegal’s most impressive performances of the tournament.
The Senegalese side controlled the match from start to finish, using their numerical advantage effectively while maintaining strong defensive discipline.
Iraq struggled to create meaningful opportunities throughout the game as Senegal’s defense remained organized and denied their opponents any chance of staging a comeback.
The convincing victory saw Senegal finish third in Group I with three points behind group winners France and second-placed Norway, who secured the automatic qualification spots.
Although Senegal did not qualify directly for the Round of 32, the large winning margin significantly improved their goal difference.
The Teranga Lions must now wait for the conclusion of the remaining group matches to determine whether they will advance as one of the tournament’s best third-placed teams.
For Iraq, the defeat marked the end of their World Cup campaign after finishing bottom of the group without accumulating enough points to progress.
Senegal’s outstanding display has raised hopes among supporters that the African representatives could still continue their journey in the tournament if results in other groups work in their favour.