EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY / EuroWire / – Erling Haaland scored twice as Norway beat Senegal 3-2 on Monday. The win at New York/New Jersey Stadium moved Norway into the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 after two group matches. Marcus Holmgren Pedersen also scored for Norway in the Group I match. Ismaila Sarr scored both Senegal goals, but the late push did not stop Norway from advancing.
Norway reached the knockout stage in its first World Cup appearance in 28 years. The result also gave the team a second straight win after its 4-1 opening victory over Iraq. Haaland, playing in his first World Cup, moved to four goals in two matches. The Manchester City forward scored twice after halftime and gave Norway the decisive finishing touch on a damp night in New Jersey.
Senegal began with energy and limited Norway’s space for much of the first half. The match changed near halftime after Pedersen came on for injured defender Julian Ryerson. Senegal captain Kalidou Koulibaly misjudged a clearance in the 43rd minute, and Pedersen drove the ball past goalkeeper Edouard Mendy. The goal sent Norway into halftime ahead, after Senegal had spent long spells pressing high and trying to keep Haaland away from the ball.
Haaland brace decides Group I match
Norway extended its lead three minutes after the restart. Martin Odegaard found Haaland, and the striker hit a rising shot into the top corner. Senegal answered in the 53rd minute through Sarr, who cut the lead to 2-1. Haaland restored Norway’s margin of two goals in the 58th minute when his volley struck the underside of the bar and crossed the line. The sequence gave Norway control again.
Sarr scored again in stoppage time, giving Senegal a final chance to press for an equalizer. Norway held its shape through the closing minutes and finished the match with six points from two games. France also reached six points after beating Iraq 3-0 in the other Group I match. Senegal and Iraq remained without points after two rounds, leaving Norway and France as the confirmed qualifiers from the group.
Senegal fightback falls short
The result left Group I with two teams through after two matchdays. Norway’s attack has produced seven goals in wins over Iraq and Senegal. Haaland has scored four of them across the two matches. Norway’s return to the World Cup has now included its first knockout berth since the 1998 tournament in France. The latest win kept Norway level with France on points.
Senegal, a World Cup quarterfinalist in 2002, has lost both Group I matches after earlier falling 3-1 to France. Sarr kept Senegal in the match with two goals, including the stoppage-time finish that narrowed the final score. Norway’s 3-2 victory added a second win to its FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign. Senegal left East Rutherford with no points from two games and a minus-three goal difference.