MUNDIAL·26

First Stage · Group I · Friday, June 26 · Boston Stadium, Boston · 64,146 in the stands

kickoff 15:00 local · 23°C · 80% humidity

Norway

21′ Thelo AASGAARD (pen)

1:4

France

7′ Ousmane DEMBELE (pen)

20′ Ousmane DEMBELE (pen)

32′ Ousmane DEMBELE (pen)

90+4′ Desire DOUE (pen)

tap a player for their match file

Norway4-3-3
France4-2-3-1
Egil SELVIK5.5Leo OSTIGARD5.3Fredrik Andre BJORKAN6.1Henrik FALCHENER5.4Patrick BERG6.0Fredrik AURSNES6.3Kristian THORSTVEDT6.1Thelo AASGAARD7.5Andreas SCHJELDERUP7.3Oscar BOBB7.0Jorgen STRAND LARSEN5.5Mike MAIGNAN7.5Dayot UPAMECANO6.4Jules KOUNDE6.2Theo HERNANDEZ6.1Maxence LACROIX6.1Manu KONE6.6Aurelien TCHOUAMENI7.3Ousmane DEMBELE9.9Kylian MBAPPE8.7Michael OLISE6.5Desire DOUE8.4
from the bench

match pulse — xG per 5 minutes · goals · cards

45′90′NORFRA

goals — hover the strip for every shot and card, with names

  • 7′Dembélé0.09 xG
  • 20′Dembélé0.11 xG
  • 21′Aasgaard0.10 xG
  • 32′Dembélé0.09 xG
  • 90+4′Doué0.12 xG
NOR 0:0 FRA0'kickoff
1' Mbappe — xG 0.05 · Saved4' Kone — xG 0.11 · Saved5' Doué — xG 0.03 · Saved7' Dembélé — xG 0.09 · Goal8' Doué — xG 0.04 · Saved11' Thorstvedt — xG 0.02 · Saved13' Olise — xG 0.29 · Blocked14' Larsen — xG 0.26 · Missed17' Mbappe — xG 0.12 · Saved19' Aasgaard — xG 0.03 · Blocked20' Dembélé — xG 0.11 · Goal21' Aasgaard — xG 0.10 · Goal23' Olise — xG 0.13 · Blocked23' Doué — xG 0.02 · Missed24' Theo — xG 0.02 · Missed32' Dembélé — xG 0.09 · Goal35' Tchouaméni — xG 0.04 · Missed45 + 1' Olise — xG 0.09 · Missed50' Larsen — xG 0.79 · Saved55' Ostigard — xG 0.07 · Missed56' Mbappe — xG 0.05 · Missed64' Bobb — xG 0.03 · Blocked64' Mbappe — xG 0.07 · Blocked72' Bobb — xG 0.29 · Saved79' Berg — xG 0.07 · Blocked87' Aursnes — xG 0.04 · Missed90 + 2' Theo — xG 0.03 · Missed90 + 4' Doué — xG 0.12 · Goal

▶ Watch every shot in 3D⟲ Replay the match

The xG race — cumulative expected goals, minute by minute

NOR 0:0 FRA
1.00′15′30′45′60′75′90′7' Dembélé — GOAL20' Dembélé — GOAL21' Aasgaard — GOAL32' Dembélé — GOAL90 + 4' Doué — GOAL1.701.50

On paper vs as played — formation sheet vs heatmap reality

NOR 4-3-3 attack →, ← FRA 4-2-3-1 attack. The teamsheet, as announced.

13Egil SELVIKEgil SELVIK4Leo OSTIGARDLeo OSTIGARD15Fredrik Andre BJORKANFredrik Andre BJORKAN25Henrik FALCHENERHenrik FALCHENER6Patrick BERGPatrick BERG14Fredrik AURSNESFredrik AURSNES18Kristian THORSTVEDTKristian THORSTVEDT19Thelo AASGAARDThelo AASGAARD21Andreas SCHJELDERUPAndreas SCHJELDERUP22Oscar BOBBOscar BOBB11Jorgen STRAND LARSENJorgen STRAND LARSEN16Mike MAIGNANMike MAIGNAN4Dayot UPAMECANODayot UPAMECANO5Jules KOUNDEJules KOUNDE19Theo HERNANDEZTheo HERNANDEZ26Maxence LACROIXMaxence LACROIX6Manu KONEManu KONE8Aurelien TCHOUAMENIAurelien TCHOUAMENI7Ousmane DEMBELEOusmane DEMBELE10Kylian MBAPPEKylian MBAPPE11Michael OLISEMichael OLISE20Desire DOUEDesire DOUE

The duel — team data, FIFA tracking included

41%
Possession
51%
1.45
Expected goals
1.05
43
Threat
57
10
Shots
18
5
On target
9
366
Passes completed
492
38
Forced turnovers
43
17.9s
Ball recovery time
12.7s
3.82
High-press phases
7.13
10
Fouls committed
8
1
Offsides
2
114 km
Distance covered
109 km
35.6 km/h
Top speed
37.6 km/h

Territory — where each team lived

Every player's heatmap, minutes-weighted and stacked per team. Norway attack →, ← France attack. Brighter is more presence; where the colors meet is the contested ground.

How it happened

  1. 7′Ousmane DEMBELE (France) scores!!
  2. 10′Patrick BERG (Norway) is booked by the referee.
  3. 20′Ousmane DEMBELE (France) scores!!
  4. 21′Thelo AASGAARD (Norway) scores!!
  5. 32′Ousmane DEMBELE (France) scores!!
  6. ′Before the second half begins Morten THORSBY (in) comes off the bench to replace Kristian THORSTVEDT (out) (Norway)
  7. ′Before the second half begins Marcus HOLMGREN PEDERSEN (in) comes off the bench to replace Fredrik Andre BJORKAN (out) (Norway)
  8. 50′Penalty Awarded
  9. 65′Bradley BARCOLA (in) comes off the bench to replace Ousmane DEMBELE (out) (France)
  10. 65′Rayan CHERKI (in) comes off the bench to replace Michael OLISE (out) (France)
  11. 66′Sondre LANGAS (in) comes off the bench to replace Henrik FALCHENER (out) (Norway)
  12. 74′Aurelien TCHOUAMENI (France) is booked by the referee.
  13. 76′Ibrahima KONATE (in) comes off the bench to replace Dayot UPAMECANO (out) (France)
  14. 83′Jens Petter HAUGE (in) comes off the bench to replace Andreas SCHJELDERUP (out) (Norway)
  15. 83′Antonio NUSA (in) comes off the bench to replace Oscar BOBB (out) (Norway)
  16. 86′Malo GUSTO (in) comes off the bench to replace Jules KOUNDE (out) (France)
  17. 86′Jean-Philippe MATETA (in) comes off the bench to replace Kylian MBAPPE (out) (France)
  18. 90+4′Desire DOUE (France) scores!!

The morning-after column · AI-written from the match data

France's press suffocated Norwegian hopes from kickoff

France seized control in Boston with alarming speed. Two goals before the 21st minute—the 7th and 20th—established complete dominance. Aasgaard's immediate response at the 21st briefly suggested a contest, but France's superior press intensity and possession left Norway perpetually chasing. A third at the 32nd minute extinguished hope; a fourth in added time merely made the margin reflect the reality. France's ball recovery speed (12.7 seconds versus Norway's 17.9) meant they never lost the ebb and flow.

Norway out-created France on the xG ledger—1.45 to 1.05—yet paid for profligacy and poor execution under France's relentless press. Dembélé's transcendent 9.9 rating and Mbappé's 8.7 converted scarcity into dominance; Aasgaard (7.5) and Schjelderup (7.3) found few openings. Critically, Norway's 50th-minute 0.79-xG chance was saved—had that dropped, momentum could have shifted. Instead, Norway's forced turnovers (38) versus France's 43, combined with 17.9-second ball recovery against France's 12.7, meant relentless suffocation.

France won 4-1 on 1.05 expected goals to Norway's 1.45: press perfection (7.1 phases) converted scarcity into dominance.

50′

Norway's 0.79-xG chance saved. Had it dropped, momentum swung back to the contest.

What Norway needed

Suffocated by France's press; errors compounded the defeat.

  • Ball recovery 17.9 seconds versus France's 12.7 cost constant field position.
  • High-press phases 3.8 versus France's 7.1 left them outmatched from kickoff.
  • 50th-minute 0.79-xG chance saved—that was the match's pivot point right there.

What France needed

Early blows and relentless press delivered routine victory.

  • Two goals in first 20 minutes (7', 20') from 18 shots set tone.
  • Press intensity 7.1 phases forced 43 turnovers; Norway's 17.9s recovery fatal.
  • Risk: won on 1.05 xG versus Norway's 1.45—clinical but vulnerable model.