WASHINGTON, June 26 (Xinhua) -- France finished the group stage in emphatic fashion on Friday as Ousmane Dembele's first-half hat-trick powered it to a 4-1 win over Norway and sealed a perfect record atop Group I at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Dembele completed his treble inside 25 minutes, one of the fastest hat-tricks in World Cup history.

Norway, despite the defeat, still advanced as runner-up. Senegal was later confirmed a spot as one of the eight best third-placed teams thanks to a commanding 5-0 victory over Iraq.

Cabo Verde held Saudi Arabia to a 0-0 draw and advanced to the knockout stage as Group H runner-up with three points from three consecutive draws, while Spain defeated Uruguay 1-0 in the group's other match.

Cabo Verde became the first team since Slovakia in 2010 to reach the knockout stage in its World Cup debut, where it will face defending champion Argentina in the round of 32. Uruguay, meanwhile, became the first South American team eliminated from this year's tournament.

In Group G, Leandro Trossard scored twice as Belgium cruised to a 5-1 victory over New Zealand to finish top of the group, while Egypt drew 1-1 with Iran to advance as runner-up. Iran, with three draws, remains in contention for a place in the round of 32 as one of the best third-placed teams.

On Saturday, Portugal will meet Colombia for top spot in Group K, while England faces already-eliminated Panama in Group L action. ■