‘Decisive’ Dembélé joins party but could group dominance hurt France?

Norway will provide a tougher test for two-time world champions – and they are going to need it before knockouts

France will take on Norway in Boston on Friday for the right to top Group I, but one man thinks it’s already done. “Honestly I don’t care that much”, Erling Haaland told Fox in the United States. “They’re probably going to win against us. They’re probably going to win the whole tournament.”

Haaland may have been playing mind games, and you will not hear Didier Deschamps making any such argument. But the French head coach certainly took satisfaction from his team’s storm-hit but ultimately straightforward victory over Iraq. Featuring another Kylian Mbappé brace and two more assists for Michael Olise, this match’s notable success was Ousmane Dembélé’s arrival at the party, scoring his first tournament goal at the 20th attempt.

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