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World Cup favourites France flexed their muscles with a big win against Group I rivals Norway, while former Socceroos boss Graham Arnold’s campaign with Iraq came to a disappointing end.
Australians will be keeping a close eye on today’s action with the final Group G matches at 1pm AEST to decide the Socceroos’ opponent in the Round of 32.
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Before those contests, the tournament’s feel good story Cabo Verde get the chance to advance to the knockouts in their World Cup debut.
The tiny island nation produced shock draws in the opening two matches and another point against Saudi Arabia could be enough to make it out of the group.
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Earlier, fans were denied the chance to watch two of the game’s biggest superstars go head-to-head as Norway coach Stale Solbakken left Erling Haaland on the bench – perhaps denting the Manchester City star’s quest for the golden boot too.
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FRANCE THRASH SECOND-STRING NORWAY
Ousmane Dembele scored one of the earliest hat-tricks in World Cup history on Friday as the Ballon d’Or winner starred in France’s 4-1 win over a second-string Norway, while Erling Haaland watched on from the bench.
Paris Saint-Germain forward Dembele opened the scoring in the seventh minute at the Gillette Stadium near Boston, struck again on 20 minutes and, after Thelo Aasgaard had pulled one back, he made it 3-1 in the 32nd minute.
The only player to complete a hat-trick earlier in a World Cup match is Erich Probst, who got three inside the first 24 minutes for Austria against Czechoslovakia in 1954.
Dembele moves on to four goals at the tournament after also scoring in the 3-0 win over Iraq on Monday, and his display here will perhaps ease some of the pressure on captain Kylian Mbappe to always be France’s match-winner.
Desire Doue completed the scoring late on, and the victory allowed France to end the group stage with the maximum nine points — they have scored 10 goals in three games and advance as Group I winners.
France will now stay in the northeastern USA for a last-32 tie against a third-place finisher at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey next Tuesday.
It was an emotionally charged day for Les Bleus, who had to play this match without coach Didier Deschamps after he returned to France to attend his mother’s funeral. Deschamps, who will step down at the end of the World Cup after 14 years in charge, is due back with his squad on Saturday.
Norway, who also saw Jorgen Strand Larsen have a penalty saved, go through in second place with six points, their progress already having been secured before this game thanks to wins over Iraq and Senegal.
That explains why coach Stale Solbakken made 10 changes to his starting line-up here following the 3-2 win over Senegal last time out.
Haaland, captain Martin Odegaard and striker Alexander Sorloth were among the players rested, with Benfica’s Fredrik Aursnes the only one retained.
The regulars will undoubtedly return in the next round, and Norway will take on Ivory Coast in Dallas next Tuesday.
France were without Arsenal defender William Saliba as he rested a sore back, so Maxence Lacroix of Crystal Palace replaced him. Doue, Theo Hernandez and Aurelien Tchouameni all returned.
However, Dembele and Mbappe both kept their places, with the latter winning his 101st cap and looking to add to his 16 World Cup goals and catch up with Lionel Messi’s overall tournament record of 18.
But Dembele, a teammate of Mbappe’s in the France team that won the 2018 World Cup, stole the headlines with his brilliant hat-trick.
Mbappe released the 29-year-old for the early opener, as Dembele cut in from the right, dropped a shoulder and went back onto his right foot before firing across goalkeeper Egil Selvik and in.
Dembele was transformed into a Ballon d’Or winner after Luis Enrique, his coach at PSG, moved him from the wing into a central role.
But he caused havoc here coming in from the right flank, scoring his second as he cut infield and curled a low shot on his left foot into the far corner.
Aasgaard, of Rangers, pulled one back straight from the restart with a low strike past goalkeeper Mike Maignan with the French defence having switched off.
But Dembele curled in his team’s third, again on his left foot and into the same bottom corner, albeit this time from inside the area.
Three goals in the space of 25 first-half minutes is not the fastest hat-trick at a World Cup — that record is held by Hungary’s Laszlo Kiss, who needed less than eight minutes against El Salvador in 1982.
However, Dembele is now in illustrious company: the only previous French hat-tricks at the tournament were scored by Just Fontaine (twice in 1958) and Mbappe, who netted three in the 2022 final.
Norway could have pulled one back early in the second half after Oscar Bobb was tripped in the area by Hernandez, but Strand Larsen’s spot-kick was poor and Maignan saved.
Doue then headed in France’s fourth in stoppage time.
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BRUTAL END OF ARNIE‘S IRAQ
Senegal became the first African side to score five goals in a World Cup match, a stunning double by Pape Gueye inspiring them to a 5-0 win over 10-man Iraq in their final Group I match on Friday.
Senegal also boosted their chances of progressing to the last 32 as one of the eight best third-placed teams — they have the best goal difference of the teams on three points.
Iraq go home without a point after a hugely disappointing campaign following an arduous route to qualify.
Senegal struck early, Habib Diarra getting the slightest of touches to Abdoulaye Seck’s header from a corner, for his first international goal since he scored in a friendly against England last year.
Iraq’s already slim hopes of keeping their hopes alive suffered a hammer blow a few minutes later.
Defender Rebin Sulaka had been brought into the starting line-up by Iraq coach Graham Arnold but his contribution lasted just 13 minutes.
English referee Anthony Taylor red-carded him after consulting the VAR screen for fouling Sadio Mane when the Senegal talisman was clear on goal.
It was the earliest red card of the nine so far in the World Cup, the fourth fastest in the tournament’s history.
Iraq were unable to fashion a chance in the rest of the half and despite their one man advantage Senegal could only muster one, Ismail Jacobs fierce strike from outside the box just going wide with the keeper beaten.
Senegal came out for the second-half bristling with intent.
Iraq had been further destabilised as they had to replace goalkeeper Ahmed Basil, who had taken a knock in the first-half, with Jalal Hassan at the break.
Hassan survived the early wave of attacks but was helpless when Senegal finally got into their stride.
Ismaila Sarr tapped in in the 56th minute, for his third goal of the tournament, after a dreadful error by former Manchester United player Zidane Iqbal deep inside his own half gifted Senegal possession.
The relief of the second goal had Sarr lying prone on his back pumping his fists with joy.
Then came the Gueye show and it had the fans off their seats. Within 89 seconds of coming on as a substitute he let rip from outside the box with a sublime curling effort that gave Hassan no chance for 3-0 in the 59th minute.
The Villarreal midfielder possibly outdid that effort with a vicious half volley 12 minutes later that flew past the keeper.
Arnold was reduced to leaning on the dugout and ruefully shaking his head, and could only watch as Iliman Ndiaye scored with another screamer eight minutes from time.
