Historic pace! Dembélé's hat-trick makes the 2026 World Cup a record-breaker for the 21st century

France striker Ousmane Dembélé netted a first-half hat-trick in the third round match against Norway at the 2026 World Cup. By halftime, Les Bleus were up 3-1, with Dembélé rightly stealing the spotlight as the hero of the half.

Details: This is already the third hat-trick of this World Cup edition. Previously, Lionel Messi scored three for Argentina against Algeria, and Jonathan David bagged a treble for Canada against Qatar.

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The 2026 World Cup has already set a 21st-century record for hat-tricks scored in a single tournament. Before this, no more than two hat-tricks had been recorded in any World Cup edition this century.

The last time three or more hat-tricks were scored in a single World Cup was way back in 1986. Now, the 2026 tournament has matched that rare statistical milestone and has already carved its name into history for attacking prowess.

Reminder: As previously reported, Dembélé’s goal was the first at the 2026 World Cup to involve all 11 French players