World Cup
The highly anticipated Group I matchup pits two of Europe’s more talented rosters against each other.
Ousmane Dembélé curls his shot beyond the outstretched hand of Norwegian goalkeeper
Egil Selvik during the World Cup matchup at “Boston Stadium.” Via Hussein Hammouda/Boston.com
June 26, 2026 | 2:12 PM
4 minutes to read
FOXBOROUGH — One of the biggest games of the 2026 World Cup group stage is at “Boston Stadium” (Gillette Stadium) on Friday afternoon, as Norway faces France.
Both teams have won their first two games of the tournament so far, and both are hoping to make extended runs in the knockout stage (each has already clinched a knockout round spot). The winner of today’s game will take the top position in Group I (a draw would leave France at the top).
The notable pregame news was that Norwegian striker Erling Haaland, who scored twice in his first game in Foxborough, will begin today on the bench as the Scandinavians rest several starters.
Stay tuned for all of the updates:
3:52: Halftime! Somehow we are “only” at 3-1 France, but so many more goals feel like they could be coming in this game! See you in 15 minutes!
3:44: After a solid Norwegian set piece (corner kick) resulted in French center-back Dayot Upamecano clearing the ball off his goal-line, a counterattack led by Michael Olise nearly results in Dembélé adding a fourth. But the talented winger opts to pass this time, and the cross is intercepted. The game might end with 10 goals at this rate.
3:33: GOAL France! Dembélé required barely half an hour to complete his World Cup hat-trick. It’s 3-1 France after the 2025 Ballon d’Or winner creates a near-complete copy of his earlier goal (curling a left-footed shot into the far corner).
¡¡¡HAT-TRICK!!! ¡¡¡OUSMANE DEMBÉLÉ!!!
El Balón de Oro nuevamente firma de zurda y aumenta la ventaja para Francia sobre Noruega.
¡Ya lleva 4 goles en la Copa del Mundo 2026! pic.twitter.com/mQXlAQrElQ
— Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) June 26, 2026
3:30: Norway are fighting back, and almost score an equalizer after Schjelderup arranges a slick give-and-go (involving a nice back-heel pass which drew applause) before firing a low cross to the near post. A mad scramble ensues, with French goalkeeper Mike Maignan eventually collecting the ball. This game has absolutely no chill so far, and the crowd is loving it.
3:26: We reach the first hydration break, which is greeted with a particularly emphatic chorus of boos. But that’s been about the only thing worth booing so far (if you believe in that sort of thing). The rest of this game has been a pure adrenaline rush through 25 minutes!
3:22: GOAL Norway! An incredible start to this game, as the Norwegians respond instantly to falling behind 2-0. Thelo Aasgaard executes a perfect fake before cutting inside and firing his right-footed shot into the low near corner of the goal to make it 2-1.
3:21: GOAL France! Dembélé scores again, curling his left-footed shot beautifully into the far corner to make it 2-0.
¡OTRO GOLAZO DE DEMBÉLÉ! ¡DOBLETE DEL BALÓN DE ORO!
Ahora de zurda, Ousmane aumenta la ventaja para Francia sobre Noruega.
Sacó un disparo de fuera del área que fue imposible para el portero noruego. pic.twitter.com/bSD6MJeezb
— Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) June 26, 2026
3:15: Almost as soon as I wrote the last blurb, Norway forward Jørgen Strand Larsen had a golden chance to level the score. The cross from Schjelderup on the left deflected right to his feet practically in the goal mouth, but the Crystal Palace forward simply couldn’t put his shot on target, and the chance is wasted for a goal kick.
3:13: It’s been a fairly open start, but that’s largely bad news for the Norwegians, who could theoretically be down by multiple goals already. Still, it’s not all bad news for the Scandinavians, who have looked bright going forward, even if they already trail.
3:07: GOAL France! Ousmane Dembélé collected the ball wide on the right, cut toward goal, faked the Norwegian defense out and then buried the ball into the far corner of the net. Quality goal, and early French lead.
¡EL BALÓN DE ORO! ¡GOLAZO DE OUSMANE DEMBÉLÉ!
Linda definición de derecha para colocar su segundo gol en la Copa del Mundo 2026.
Francia ya le pega 1-0 a Noruega. pic.twitter.com/gjvjy7kMpI
— Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) June 26, 2026
3:05: After Mbappe charged down the right wing and walloped the post, Norway mounted a brief response through winger Andreas Schjelderup, who slalomed into the French penalty area before going down. The tackle was judged to be fair, however, and on the other side the French quickly created multiple other chances. We’re off to a fast start in Foxborough!
3:00: We are underway, and within 25 seconds Mbappe hits the cross-bar!
2:56: After rousing renditions of the anthems, the pregame pageantry melts away, and the field is set for kickoff. We also paused for a moment of silence for the victims of the earthquake in Venezuela:
2:49: The big flags are out! We are building up to anthems, and then kickoff. The crowd is already enjoably loud.
2:20: The Norwegian fans are already here in large number, and just launched into their first in-stadium row chant. The vibes, after taking a slight break during the England-Ghana game last week, are officially back.
1:48: Lineups are out. Haaland is starting on the bench amid a multitude of Norwegian changes. Here’s their lineup: Aursnes, Östigard, Falchener, Björkan; Aasgaard, Berg, Thorsvtedt; Bobb, Strand Larsen, Schjelderup.
France’s lineup looks more like the regular group, and includes Kylian Mbappe: Maignan; Koundé, Upamecano, Lacroix, T. Hernandez; Koné, Tchouaméni; Dembélé, M. Olise, Doué; Mbappé.
1:30: One of the notable developments in the buildup to this game was the unfortunate news from the French camp that head coach Didier Deschamps will miss today’s matchup as he attends his mother’s funeral in France. Assistant coach Guy Stéphan will take charge for today’s game.
Didier Deschamps ne pourra pas assurer les entraînements avant la rencontre Norvège-France. Il ne pourra pas non plus être présent sur le banc vendredi pour le dernier match des Bleus dans le groupe I (21 heures, h.f.).
Le sélectionneur national a eu la douleur, ce mardi matin,… pic.twitter.com/Mqi67B0tJF
— FFF (@FFF) June 23, 2026
1:00: Welcome to Gillette Sta… sorry, “Boston Stadium” for one of the most anticipated group stage games of the 2026 World Cup! It’s slightly overcast and cool today in Foxborough, but is expected to clear up a bit before kickoff at 3 p.m.
Hayden Bird
Hayden Bird is a sports staff writer for Boston.com, where he has worked since 2016. He covers all things sports in New England.
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