Lessons Learned: Dembele’s Hat-Trick Shows France Have More Than Just Mbappe at the World Cup

Ousmane Dembele delivered a statement performance as France defeated Norway 4-1 on Friday, and the match offered several important lessons ahead of the FIFA World Cup knockout stages.

The Ballon d’Or winner scored one of the earliest hat-tricks in World Cup history, finding the net in the seventh, 20th and 32nd minutes as France finished the group stage with a perfect nine points.

Here are the key lessons learned from France’s impressive victory over Norway:

1. France are no longer dependent on Kylian Mbappe

For years, France’s success has often been linked to the brilliance of Kylian Mbappe. However, Dembele’s outstanding display proved that Les Bleus possess multiple match-winners.

While Mbappe provided the assist for the opening goal and remained a constant threat, Dembele stole the headlines with a clinical performance that underlined France’s attacking depth. The emergence of Dembele as a consistent goalscorer could reduce the pressure on the captain during the knockout rounds.

2. Luis Enrique’s tactical change has transformed Dembele

One of the biggest lessons from the tournament so far is how much Dembele has evolved as a player.

The decision by Luis Enrique to deploy Dembele in more central attacking positions at Paris Saint-Germain has turned him into a more complete and decisive forward. Although he started from the right against Norway, his movement, finishing and decision-making reflected the confidence of a player operating at the peak of his career.

His four goals in three matches have already made him one of the standout performers of the World Cup.

3. France’s squad depth could be their greatest weapon

Despite missing head coach Didier Deschamps, who travelled home to attend his mother’s funeral, France still produced one of the performances of the tournament.

Players such as Desire Doue, Aurelien Tchouameni and Theo Hernandez stepped up, showing that France possess quality throughout their squad.

Scoring 10 goals in three group matches further highlights the attacking strength available to the former world champions.

4. Norway’s squad rotation strategy may pay off

Norway’s heavy defeat should not necessarily cause alarm.

Coach Stale Solbakken rested key players including Erling Haaland, Martin Odegaard and Alexander Sorloth after qualification had already been secured.

The decision allowed Norway to protect their star players ahead of a difficult Round of 32 clash against Ivory Coast. While the scoreline was damaging, preserving the fitness of their key men may prove to be the wiser long-term strategy.

5. Defensive lapses remain France’s biggest concern

Despite the convincing victory, France once again showed signs of vulnerability at the back.

Norway pulled a goal back immediately after Dembele’s second strike, exposing a momentary lapse in concentration by the French defence. The team also conceded a penalty in the second half, although goalkeeper Mike Maignan rescued them with a save from Jorgen Strand Larsen.

Against stronger opposition in the knockout stages, such defensive mistakes could prove costly.

6. Dembele has entered elite French World Cup history

Dembele’s hat-trick placed him alongside some of the greatest names in French football history.

Before Friday, only Just Fontaine and Mbappe had scored World Cup hat-tricks for France. His achievement also strengthens his growing reputation as one of the leading players at this year’s tournament.

With four goals already and France looking increasingly dominant, Dembele has emerged as a genuine contender to be the star of the World Cup.