Dembele Shines, Ecuador Stun Germany, and Senegal Surge at the World Cup

France closed out their group stage in commanding fashion at Boston Stadium, with Ousmane Dembele scoring a hat-trick in a 4-1 dismantling of Norway. The third goal, the product of a 17-pass move involving all 11 French starters, captured the mood of a performance that left France looking as dangerous as any side in the tournament. It was a bittersweet evening for the squad, however, with manager Didier Deschamps absent having attended his mother's funeral, returning to Boston on Saturday.

Elsewhere, Ecuador's come-from-behind victory over Germany reverberated far beyond the pitch — the country's president declared a public holiday in its wake, a measure of just how much the result meant. Senegal, meanwhile, were ruthless against a 10-man Iraq side, winning 5-0 in Toronto with Iliman Ndiaye and Ismaila Sarr combining to devastating effect. Japan and Sweden both progressed after a mutually convenient 1-1 draw, though Japan's reward is a last-16 tie with Brazil.

The United States finished the group stage on a sour note, losing 3-2 to Turkey with goalkeeper Matt Turner sharply criticised, though Mauricio Pochettino's side still won the group. Off the pitch, Manchester City agreed a £116 million deal for Elliot Anderson, making the Nottingham Forest midfielder the most expensive British player in football history.