Haaland blows them away: Norway win the 3-2 duel

In 2026 FIFA World Cup Group I, Norway beat Senegal 3-2 in a breathless contest at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford. In a match where star striker Erling Haaland stood out with two goals, Norway won for a second time after their opening victory over Iraq and all but secured a last-32 berth.

Norway suffered a setback early on; in the 13th minute, Julian Ryerson went off injured and was replaced by Marcus Holmgren Pedersen. But the substitute Pedersen became the hero: in the 43rd, he found the net to put Norway 1-0 up and send his team into the break in front.

Norway took control in the second half. In the 48th, from captain Martin Ødegaard's assist, Haaland doubled the lead. Senegal responded immediately; in the 53rd, from a Sadio Mane pass, Ismaila Sarr made it 2-1 to get back into the game. But Norway's reply was swift: in the 58th, this time from Patrick Berg's assist, Haaland took centre stage again to score his second and the team's third for 3-1.

Senegal did not give up until the very end. Increasing the pressure through Pape Thiaw's substitutions, the African side struck again through Sarr in the 90+3; from Nicolas Jackson's assist, Sarr scored his second to make it 3-2. But there was not enough time left to find the equaliser, and Norway left with three points.

The stats pointed to an even, hard-fought game. Although Senegal led on possession with 57%, Norway edged the expected goals (xG) 2.10 to Senegal's 0.93 and created five big chances. On total shots, Senegal had 14 and Norway 13 in a close picture. The match was officiated by Brazilian referee Wilton Sampaio, with over 80,000 fans in the stands.

With this result, Norway took two wins from two games, all but sealing their progression and settling into a strong position in the race for top spot. At their first World Cup since 1998, Haaland's scoring remains the Vikings' biggest weapon. Senegal, beaten by France in their opener and by Norway here, were left pointless from both games and came to the brink of elimination; despite Sarr's brace and their late resistance, the gaps in defence cost the African side dearly. Senegal's qualifying hopes now depend on results in the final match and elsewhere.

Image: Al Jazeera