India, June 27 -- French winger Ousmane Dembele strengthened his claim for the FIFA World Cup Golden Boot, putting up an enthralling show against Norway in Boston. He struck three early goals to register a historic hat-trick, which put him alongside Just Fontaine and Kylian Mbappe in an elite league. Dembele is only the third French player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup game. He also remains one of the top scorers of this edition, having bagged four goals from three group-stage games. Dembele needs one more strike to match the tally of Lionel Messi, who leads the Golden Boot race with five goals in two appearances.

Dembele could aim for more against Norway, but he was subbed off, with 25 minutes left on the clock. His teammate, Mbap...