Ousmane Dembele Hailed Worldwide After Stunning Hat-Trick for France
France were playing Norway on June 26, 2026, in their World Cup Group 9 match, with first place in the group at stake. The opening minutes belonged to Ousmane Dembele, who scored a superb hat-trick and powered France to a strong start in the game.
Dembele, the Paris Saint-Germain star, raised his France tally to 11 goals, including four in the current tournament. He also became the fastest player in French history to score two goals within the first 20 minutes of a match, before completing his third in the 32nd minute.
The treble was only the fourth by a French player in World Cup history. The previous ones belonged to Just Fontaine, who did it twice in 1958, and Kylian Mbappe, who scored a hat-trick in the 2022 World Cup final.
International reaction was glowing. French Football said the debate over Dembele’s best attacking position had been settled, writing that the Ballon d’Or winner has been involved in all four of France’s latest World Cup goals and should stay on the right wing. Journalist Andres Ramos wrote that until this match Dembele had never scored a brace for France, calling him a "monumental talent."
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