World Cup 2026: Haaland brace sends Norway into knockout with 3-2 win over Senegal

Erling Haaland scored a second straight brace as Norway booked their place in the round of 32 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a hard-fought 3-2 win over Senegal in their Group I encounter at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Tuesday, June 23 (IST).

The win moved Norway level with France on six points at the top of the group and set up a potentially decisive showdown between the two sides in their final group stage match.

Norway were rewarded for a dominant first-half display in the 43rd minute when Senegal’s defense gifted them the opening goal. Kalidou Koulibaly failed to deal with a loose ball, allowing Marcus Pedersen to break into the penalty area and beat Edouard Mendy with a powerful shot.

FIFA World Cup Norway vs Senegal: Highlights

The Scandinavians could have gone into the break with a bigger lead after creating more chances, Mendy making a couple of important saves and Haaland hitting the post late in the half.

However, Haaland quickly made amends after the restart. Just three minutes into the second half, Martin Odegaard released the striker with a perfectly balanced ball and the Norway captain’s pass was finished emphatically as Haaland fired into the top corner to double his side’s advantage.

Senegal responded almost immediately. In the 53rd minute, Sadio Mane’s incisive pass split the Norwegian defense and Ismaila Sarr showed strength and composure to beat his keeper before finding the back of the net.

Norway restored their two-goal cushion five minutes later. Once again, Senegal failed to clear their lines and Patrick Berg’s pass found Haaland, who unleashed a superb first-time volley that went wide of the crossbar for his fourth goal in two World Cup games.

Sarr struck again deep into the break to give Senegal hope, but Norway held on to secure a valuable win and become one of the first teams from Group I to book a place in the knockout stages.

The win sets up a thrilling showdown with France on Friday, June 27 (IST), where the two teams are level on points and top of the group is at stake. Senegal, meanwhile, face Iraq in a must-win clash as they look to keep their qualification hopes alive.

Haaland’s latest heroics continued a remarkable scoring run at the tournament, with the Norwegian striker emerging as one of the frontrunners for the Golden Boot after scoring four goals in the opening two games.

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Issued by:

Saurabh Kumar

Published on:

23 Jun 2026 07:45 IST