DEMBELE SCORES HAT-TRICK AS FRANCE FACES NORWAY

Ousmane Dembele scored three goals in the opening 32 minutes of France's World Cup Group I match against Norway in Boston. The France forward's hat-trick came in the first half of the fixture. The result places Dembele among the leading contenders in the tournament's Golden Boot race.

Dembele's three-goal haul adds him to a group of players competing for the Golden Boot award. Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Vinicius Junior had previously been at the centre of the scoring competition. The World Cup Golden Boot race is shaping up to be among the most closely contested in recent tournament history.

The match between Norway and France was still in progress at the time of reporting. France and Norway are competing in Group I of the World Cup. No final match result was confirmed in the available information.