Norway secured their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 after Erling Haaland scored twice in a dramatic 3-2 victory over Senegal in Group I at the New York New Jersey Stadium on Tuesday.
The Scandinavian side claimed a second straight win to move into the knockout stage, while Senegal’s defeat put them on the brink of elimination of the African representatives after suffering back-to-back losses.
Haaland once again proved decisive, taking his tally to four goals in two matches and further strengthening his challenge for the tournament’s Golden Boot award.
Norway opened the scoring in the 43rd minute when Marcus Pedersen capitalised on a defensive lapse from Senegal captain Kalidou Koulibaly before calmly finishing to give his side a deserved lead heading into the break.
Just three minutes into the second half, Haaland doubled Norway’s advantage.
The striker latched onto a precise through pass from Martin Ødegaard and made no mistake with a clinical finish beyond goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.
Senegal responded almost immediately through Ismaila Sarr, who pulled one back in the 53rd minute after a clever assist from Sadio Mané to reignite hopes of a comeback.
However, Haaland restored Norway’s two-goal cushion five minutes later, producing a composed side-footed volley that struck the underside of the crossbar before finding the net.
The brace not only secured victory for Norway but also saw the Manchester City forward become his country’s all-time leading scorer in FIFA World Cup history.
Senegal mounted a late push as Sarr grabbed his second goal deep into stoppage time from a Nicolas Jackson assist.
The Crystal Palace winger nearly completed a remarkable comeback moments later but headed over from close range with the final opportunity of the match.
Norway survived the late pressure to seal all three points and join France in advancing from Group I.
Haaland’s remarkable international form continues to gather momentum, with the 25-year-old now scoring in 12 consecutive competitive matches for Norway and netting at least twice in each of his last six appearances for the national team.
The result leaves Senegal without a point from their opening two matches. They must now beat Iraq in their final group game and rely on favourable results elsewhere to keep alive their slim hopes of progressing as one of the best third-placed teams.
Norway will face France on Friday in a showdown to determine the Group I winners, while Senegal take on Iraq in a must-win encounter.
