France delivered a stunning 4-0 victory over Norway, while Egypt, Iran, and Cape Verde celebrated historic qualification for the FIFA World Cup 2026 knockout stage.
WEBDESK – SHARJAH NEWS
France produced one of the most dominant displays of the FIFA World Cup 2026 after hammering Norway 4-0 to finish top of their group in emphatic fashion.
French forward Ousmane Dembélé emerged as the star of the night, scoring a sensational hat-trick as France completely outclassed the Norwegian side and strengthened their credentials as serious title contenders.
Norway struggled throughout the contest and badly missed the presence of star striker Erling Haaland, who did not feature in the crucial match. The Scandinavian side also failed to capitalize on a penalty opportunity that could have shifted momentum and made the clash more competitive.
With the victory, France secured top spot in the group and will now face one of the best third-placed teams in the knockout stage as they continue their pursuit of World Cup glory.
In another major fixture, Egypt and Iran played to a tense 1-1 draw in a result that proved historic for both nations.
Egypt officially qualified for the FIFA World Cup knockout stage for the first time in their history after finishing second in the group. Iran also boosted their chances significantly by moving into the list of the best third-placed teams and are now strongly expected to reach the round of 32 for the first time ever.
Elsewhere, Cape Verde continued their remarkable World Cup journey after securing a 1-1 draw against Saudi Arabia.
The African side had already impressed football fans worldwide after earlier holding Spain and Uruguay, and their latest result confirmed qualification for the next round of the tournament.
Cape Verde is now likely to face Argentina in what promises to become one of the most exciting knockout clashes of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, missed a major opportunity to advance and now faces an uncertain path in the competition.
Senegal also responded strongly after losing their opening two matches, thrashing Iraq 5-0 in a completely one-sided encounter.
Iraq endured another disappointing performance and finished among the weakest-performing teams of the tournament after struggling throughout the group stage.
Belgium also made a powerful statement by crushing New Zealand 5-0 after previously being held to a draw by Iran.
The convincing victory pushed Belgium to the top of their group and reinforced their position among the strongest contenders for the later stages of the tournament.
Attention now shifts to another blockbuster FIFA World Cup 2026 showdown as Portugal takes on Colombia tonight in a high-stakes clash that could determine easier knockout-stage opponents for the winner.
