Erling Haaland delivered another standout performance on the world stage as Norway secured qualification for the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup with an entertaining 3-2 victory over Senegal in Group I.
In a thrilling contest played at a rain-soaked MetLife Stadium in New Jersey before a crowd of 80,663 fans, Norway held off a spirited Senegal comeback to book their place in the last 32 alongside France.
There had been uncertainty ahead of kick-off after severe weather concerns briefly forced fans to evacuate parts of the stadium, but the match eventually went ahead as conditions improved.
Norway struck first shortly before half-time through Marcus Holmgren Pedersen, whose 43rd-minute goal gave Stale Solbakken’s side a deserved lead heading into the break.
The second half quickly turned into a battle of attacking quality.
Just three minutes after the restart, Haaland doubled Norway’s advantage with a clinical finish before Senegal responded almost immediately through Ismaila Sarr to cut the deficit and reignite the contest.
However, Haaland once again showed why he remains one of world football’s most feared strikers, restoring Norway’s two-goal cushion in the 58th minute with his second goal of the night.
The brace took the Manchester City forward’s international tally to 59 goals in just 52 appearances for Norway and extended his scoring streak to 12 consecutive competitive matches for his country.
Senegal refused to give in and continued pushing for a way back into the game. Their persistence paid off deep into stoppage time when Sarr grabbed his second goal of the evening, but it ultimately proved too late to deny Norway all three points.
With the victory, Norway recorded their second win of the tournament, surpassing their total number of wins from previous World Cup campaigns combined and moved into the knockout rounds with a game to spare.
Norway will now face France in their final Group I fixture to determine who finishes top of the group.
For Senegal, qualification hopes remain alive but the equation has become far more difficult. They must now produce a convincing victory over Iraq in their final group match and hope results elsewhere work in their favour to keep their World Cup journey alive.