- Dembélé scores a hat-trick as France beat Norway 4-1 to top Group I.
- Spain beats Uruguay 1-0; Cape Verde advances while Uruguay collapses.
- Senegal beats Iraq 5-0 and maintains its hopes of qualifying for the round of 16.
France and Spain finished top of their FIFA World Cup groups with victories, while two-time champions Uruguay suffered a surprise exit in the group stage.
Ousmane Dembélé scored a hat-trick as France beat Norway, Senegal boosted their slim qualification hopes with a five-goal defeat of Iraq, Spain beat Uruguay to secure top spot in Group H, and World Cup debutant Cape Verde advanced to the knockout stage after holding Saudi Arabia to a draw.
Dembélé’s hat-trick propels France past Norway
Ousmane Dembélé produced a first-half masterclass, scoring in the seventh, 20th and 32nd minutes as France beat Norway 4-1 to maintain their perfect Group I record.
Thelo Aasgaard briefly reduced the deficit for Norway, but Dembele restored France’s two-goal lead before Desire Doue added a fourth goal in stoppage time. Norway also missed a chance to get back into the contest when Jorgen Strand Larsen missed a penalty in the second half.
This victory allowed France to qualify for the round of 16 as winners of Group I.
Senegal keeps its hopes in the round of 16
Senegal restarted their World Cup campaign with an emphatic 5-0 victory over Iraq to collect their first points of the tournament.
The convincing victory significantly improved Senegal’s goal difference, but the West Africans must now rely on results from other groups to determine whether they qualify among the best third-placed teams.
Spain beats Uruguay to finish first in Group H
Spain secured top spot in Group H with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Uruguay in Guadalajara.
Alex Baena scored the only goal after veteran goalkeeper Fernando Muslera let his shot slip through his hands just before halftime. Spain are unbeaten in 34 competitive matches and are yet to concede a goal in the tournament, although their performances have yet to match those of several other title contenders.
Uruguay eliminated and Cape Verde reaches the round of 16
Uruguay’s defeat confirmed the two-time world champions’ exit from the tournament, making Marcelo Bielsa’s side the highest-ranked team eliminated from the group stage.
This defeat also allowed Cape Verde, debutant in the World Cup, to qualify for the round of 16 after holding Saudi Arabia to a goalless draw. Cape Verde finished second in Group H and advanced to the last 16 against defending champions Argentina, while Uruguay’s disappointing campaign ended after two draws and a defeat.
