Goal gala: Ousmane Dembélé shoots France towards the DFB duel

In front of 64,146 spectators, Dembélé (7th minute/20th/32nd) silenced his critics who had spoken out loudly at home after the start of the World Cup. Kylian Mbappé impressed as a two-time provider.

“It was an important game. We wanted to win the group and all the games. What comes next will be even more important,” said former Dortmund player Dembélé.

Thelo Aasgaard (21st) scored the next goal for Norway. Jörgen Strand Larsen (50th), who replaced Erling Haaland, failed from the penalty spot to keeper Mike Maignan. Désiré Doué (90th + 4) made the final score.

Haaland just a benchwarmer: No “duel of the giants”

France’s opponent in the round of 16 has not yet been decided, but Sweden and Paraguay are possible opponents. Erling Haaland’s Norwegians, who had already qualified for the knockout rounds before the game, will meet Ivory Coast. For the first time since 1998, the French won all three games in the group stage – the run ended 28 years ago with their first World Cup title.

The striker duel between Mbappé and Haaland was eagerly awaited. Both had scored four goals in their first games. Mbappé could have drawn level with World Cup record scorer Lionel Messi with two more goals. But Norway coach Stale Solbakken did not take part in the “Duel of the Giants” announced by FIFA. The 58-year-old changed his starting eleven to ten positions and, alongside Haaland, also put captain Martin Odegaard on the bench. The message: second place is enough.

Death: That’s why Didier Deschamps wasn’t there

The death of the mother of France’s national coach Didier Deschamps had overshadowed the preparations of the Équipe Tricolore. The 57-year-old, who will end his 14-year tenure after this World Cup, traveled home for the funeral. His long-time assistant Guy Stéphan will take over responsibility on the sidelines until his planned return to the USA on Saturday.

Even without their successful architect, France dominated from the start. At times the game seemed more like a meaningless kick on the 34th Bundesliga matchday than a World Cup game for group victory. Both offenses played extremely enthusiastically, both defenses revealed gaps. France missed numerous chances.

Haaland representative misses a penalty

Norway were better after the break and Strand Larsen had a great opportunity to make the game more exciting again with a foul penalty – but his shot was neither hard nor well placed enough. On the other side, Mbappé tried with all his might to catch up with Messi, but was too imprecise when finishing the goal.

The spectators loudly called for Haaland to be substituted in the final phase. But the Manchester City professional stayed outside and saw team-mate Oscar Bobb miss the next big chance. Instead, Doué scored with a header late in stoppage time for France.