Dembele admitted he was delighted to be the scorer of the 57th hat-trick in World Cup history, although the striker still considered his performance in the 3-1 victory against Senegal in the opening match even more impressive. He said: "It was a very special moment and meant a lot to me. I played well today, but I liked what I showed against Senegal more, especially in how I dealt with their defense. I felt I had more influence on the game, was more focused and had more good chances in that match."
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Dembele scored a hat-trick in France's 4-1 victory over Norway. Photo: AP |
Norwegian midfielder Patrick Berg also admitted that neutralizing Dembele and the French attack was an extremely difficult task: "We understand that France doesn't just have Dembele. They have four, five, or even six of the best strikers in the world right now. Whenever they have the ball and space, they are capable of punishing any team, not just us. It's really hard to deal with them."
Messi, despite competing for many titles with numerous other stars, including Dembele (who once played alongside Messi at Barcelona), still congratulated his rival. He essentially said that Dembele had faced many difficulties in the past due to injuries and doubts about his talent, but Dembele never lost faith in himself, and that's why "he has won all the most prestigious awards in Europe" and is now the brightest star of the French national team at the 2026 World Cup.
2. Uruguay - two-time world champions - were eliminated in the group stage.
Coach Marcelo Bielsa expressed his disappointment after Uruguay lost 0-1 to Spain, thus being eliminated in the group stage of the 2026 World Cup: “I was unable to bring out the full potential of the Uruguayan players. By replacing Valverde, I wanted to strengthen the team's attack, but we couldn't score. What I did for Uruguayan football was meaningless, because any contribution from a coach to the national team is useless if it doesn't bring positive results. If you ask the fans how they will remember me, I think they won't remember me, because I left nothing behind!”
In fact, internal instability had already set in Uruguay before the match. The players disliked the coach's training methods, complaining that they were draining their energy too quickly. Some even said before the match against Spain: "Let's hope we win this game! Otherwise..."
3. The Queen of the World Cup publicly chooses Messi.
It's not Ronaldo, but Messi who is the football genius who has captured the heart of the "Waka Waka" singer. Shakira affirms that she is completely captivated by the Argentine superstar's footballing mindset!
Shakira confidently asserted that Messi's technical skill, keen vision, and ability to create and connect with the team's play represent the most beautiful form of football that resonates deeply with her.
This statement came right before the crucial match between CR7's Portugal and Colombia – Shakira's homeland! This move was like an invisible provocation, adding fuel to an already extremely tense media frenzy. What netizens found interesting and kept sharing the post was the singer's past connection. She had a long association with Barcelona (as Pique's wife), so Shakira's special affection for Messi is understandable. However, her bluntly placing Messi above Ronaldo – the former Real Madrid champion – once again proves the undeniable appeal of the Argentinian number 10, making even top entertainment stars bow in admiration.
Shakira's praise came right when Messi was comfortably in a favorable bracket, creating a powerful media ripple effect. It put immense psychological pressure on Ronaldo, who was shouldering the burden of Portugal's struggle through a storm of public opinion to prove his dominance at the age of 41!
The final blow from the "Queen of the World Cup" is igniting a fiery online storm between the two sides of the "battle lines".
Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/the-thao/worldcup-2026/world-cup-2026-chuyen-vui-cho-bot-dem-dai-1046537
