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

Erling Haaland continued his prolific run at the FIFA World Cup 2026, scoring twice as Norway beat Senegal 3-2 in a thrilling Group I contest on Tuesday, June 23 (IST) to secure qualification for the Round of 32.

In Short

• Erling Haaland scored a brace as Norway beat Senegal 3-2 at MetLife Stadium
• Norway moved level with France on six points at the top of Group I
• Norway will face France in a top-of-the-table clash in final Group I match

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

The victory 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 fixture.

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

FIFA World Cup, Norway vs Senegal: Highlights

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

Haaland, however, quickly made amends after the restart. Just three minutes into the second half, Martin Odegaard released the striker with a perfectly weighted through 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. Sadio Mane's incisive pass split the Norwegian defence in the 53rd minute, and Ismaila Sarr showed strength and composure to beat his marker before finding the back of the net.

Norway restored their two-goal cushion five minutes later. Senegal once again failed to clear their lines and Patrick Berg's delivery found Haaland, who produced a superb first-time volley that went in off the crossbar for his fourth goal in two World Cup matches.

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

The win sets up a mouth-watering clash against France on Friday, June 27 (IST), with the two sides level on points and top spot in the group at stake. Senegal, meanwhile, will face Iraq in a must-win encounter as they look to keep their qualification hopes alive.

Haaland's latest heroics continued a remarkable scoring run at the tournament, with the Norwegian forward emerging as one of the leading contenders for the Golden Boot after netting four goals in his first two appearances.

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