France Beats Norway 3-1 in Boston; Haaland Benched Amid Fan Criticism

France comfortably defeated Norway 3-1 in Boston on Friday, in a match that held little consequence as both teams had already secured their progression from the group stage. The French squad, managed by Didier Deschamps who was absent due to his mother's passing, dominated the game against a Norwegian side that opted to rest key players.

France took an early lead when Ousmane Dembélé scored in the seventh minute, adding two more goals in the 20th and 32nd minutes to complete his hat-trick. Désiré Doué sealed the victory with a fourth goal in the 93rd minute. Norway managed to score a consolation goal shortly after France's second strike in the 21st minute and also missed a penalty in the second half, which was saved by French goalkeeper Mike Maignan.

The Norwegian team's performance was notably subdued, with coach Ståle Solbakken choosing to keep star striker Erling Haaland, who has an impressive scoring record, on the bench for the entire match. Solbakken cited the need to "save" Haaland, but this decision drew criticism from some traveling supporters who had journeyed across the Atlantic. They expressed disappointment at watching what they perceived as a "B team" rather than Norway's full strength squad.

The match, played in front of approximately 64,000 spectators, saw a significant presence of French expatriates. An estimated 200,000 French nationals reside in the United States, particularly on the East Coast, and many were present to support their team. Despite the lack of high stakes, the French community in Boston appeared to enjoy the comfortable win.