Deschamps rejoins France squad after mother's death as Dembele hat-trick secures group win

France coach Didier Deschamps has returned to the team's World Cup base in Boston following the death of his mother, the French football federation confirmed on Saturday. "Didier is with us," the federation said in a message to media. Deschamps had missed the 4-1 victory over Norway on Friday, a match that ensured France topped Group I and earned a less demanding travel schedule in the knockout stage.

Assistant coach Guy Stephan, who took charge during Deschamps' absence, said the players wanted to deliver a special performance for their absent manager. "Given that they are very close to Didier, the players wanted to do something special today on the pitch," Stephan told reporters. He added that Deschamps would be back at training on Saturday afternoon.

Ousmane Dembele stole the show at Boston Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, with a hat-trick inside 32 minutes. The 29-year-old Paris Saint-Germain striker became the third French player in World Cup history to score three goals in a match, joining Just Fontaine and Kylian Mbappe. His goals silenced critics who had pointed to his modest international record of eight goals in 61 appearances before this tournament. Dembele now has four goals in the competition, level with Mbappe and one behind leading scorer Lionel Messi.

Norway, already qualified for the round of 32 as group runners-up, fielded a heavily rotated side. Coach Stale Solbakken rested 10 of 11 regular starters, including top scorer Erling Haaland, citing fatigue and cramping issues from the previous match. Despite the loss, Solbakken praised his team's fighting spirit and said the rotation was "a no-brainer" to give Norway the best chance in their knockout match against Ivory Coast on June 30 in Dallas.

With the group stage complete, France are set to face Sweden in the round of 32 in New Jersey on Tuesday. Norway will play Ivory Coast on June 30.