France outshone already-qualified Norway 4-1 to seal top spot in World Cup Group I thanks to Ousmane Dembélé's hat-trick on Friday, while Senegal boosted their outside hopes of also reaching the first knock-out round.
The Lions of Teranga crushed now-eliminated Iraq 5-0 in Toronto to move onto three points and a goal difference of two in the battle to be one of the eight best third-placed teams reaching the last 32.
Goals from Habib Diarra, Ismaila Sarr, Iliman Ndiaye and Pape Gueye's brilliant brace downed 10-man Iraq and now Senegal must wait to see if it is enough.
France and Norway were already through to the knock-outs having won the first two of three group games. But finishing top for Les Bleus means a date against a third-placed side on Tuesday in New Jersey.
Dembélé said: "We are staying focused, it was an important game for us to win the group. We want to win every game. The next match is even more important."
The Norwegians face Ivory Coast near Dallas the same day.
The battle between star strikers Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland failed to materialize when Norway opted to rest 10 of their players, including the Manchester City front man.
Twice winners and 2022 runners-up France were without coach Didier Deschamps, who has dashed home for his mother's funeral but is returning for the next game.
"We are thinking of Didier, he will be back for training tomorrow," assistant Guy Stéphan said.
Dembélé on fire
Mbappé, part of a strong France line-up with just two tweaks in defence, had a good chance in the very first minute but was denied by keeper Egil Selvik.
It did not take long, though, for Dembélé to rifle in having been afforded too much space on the right in Foxborough near Boston.
A good advantage by the referee then allowed Mbappé to find Paris Saint-Germain's Dembélé, who cut inside and curled in a perfect shot on 20 minutes for 2-0.
Norway pulled one back immediately through Thelo Aasgaard's heavenly body swerve and finish. The midfielder has a Norwegian father and French mother - mixed emotions for the Rangers man born in England.
But a 25 minute hat-trick from Dembélé with three near carbon copy goals put fear into France's fellow World Cup favourites.
Dembélé had failed to score in his first 12 World Cup games but is suddenly flying as the third Frenchman with a hat-trick across all tournaments and third player at this edition.
He did it in the stadium where New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady became an NFL great. Désiré Doué headed in for 4-1 late on.
Norway, in their first men's World Cup since 1998, missed a penalty through Jørgen Strand Larsen but will not be too worried by the loss having left out their stars.
"There’s another match in just four days. It was a no-brainer," Norway coach Ståle Solbakken told NRK.
However, reports say right back Julian Ryerson could be out of the tournament with a hamstring injury.
