Norway 3-2 Senegal:Haaland score two goals & Norway qualify to World Cup Round of 32

Erling Haaland was at the double for Norway once again as they booked their place in the World Cup round of 32 with a nervy 3-2 win over Senegal.

Line-ups

Norway XI: Nyland, Sørloth, Fredrik Aursnes, Ødegaard, Kristoffer Ajer, Berge, Ryerson, Haaland, Torbjørn Heggem, David Møller Wolfe, Antonio Nusa

Subs: Morten Thorsby, Patrick Berg, Egil Selvik, Fredrik Bjørkan, Jens Petter Hauge, Jørgen Strand Larsen, Leo Østigård, Kristian Thorstvedt, Marcus Pedersen, Sander Tangvik, Thelo Aasgaard, Bobb, Henrik Falchener, Sondre Langås, Andreas Schjelderup

Senegal XI: Gueye, Koulibaly, Mane, Edouard Mendy, Niakhate, Sarr, Pape Gueye, Diatta, Nicolas Jackson, Lamine Camara, El Hadji Malick Diouf

Subs: Mory Diaw, Abdoulaye Seck, Yehvann Diouf, Cherif Ndiaye, Pathé Ciss, Ismail Jakobs, Antoine Mendy, Iliman Ndiaye, Pape Sarr, Bamba Dieng, Habib Diarra, Mamadou Sarr, Assane Diao, Mbaye, Bara Sapoko Ndiaye

Match Highlight:

https://www.fifa.com/en/watch/2z83J5vynam1wsTQNemf5u

Match Report:

Erling Haaland was at the double for Norway once again as they booked their place in the World Cup round of 32 with a nervy 3-2 win over Senegal.

Marcus Pedersen had opened the scoring in the first half, but a second-half double from Haaland was enough despite Ismaila Sarr's brace at New York New Jersey Stadium.

Norway forced four corners in the opening four minutes and almost profited from one, but Kristoffer Ajer thumped his header straight at a well-placed Edouard Mendy.

Martin Odegaard then saw a poked effort smothered by Mendy, but Norway got their breakthrough in the 44th minute. Pedersen – who replaced the injured Julian Ryerson 13 minutes in – latched onto Kalidou Koulibaly's loose clearance to rifle his opener under Mendy.

Haaland endured a quiet first half but came within inches of scoring on the stroke of half-time when he rounded Mendy on the right of the box only to hit the foot of the near post.

He did get on the scoresheet three minutes after the break, though, with Odegaard's lovely throughball setting up Haaland to finish the counter-attack with a powerful shot.

Jackson headed straight at Orjan Nyland as Senegal fought back before Sadio Mane picked out Sarr, who beat the goalkeeper on his way to ground after holding off David Moller Wolfe in the 53rd minute.

The two-goal deficit was restored just five minutes later as Haaland quickly adjusted to meet Patrick Berg's low cross, sending his volley in off the underside of the bar.

Senegal received another blow as Mendy went off injured in the aftermath, but it was Pathe Ciss who made a decisive save late on, clearing Oscar Bobb's effort off the line.

Pape Thiaw's side then pulled another one back in the 93rd minute, with Sarr setting himself to fire in his second, but he then headed over a last-gasp attempt as Senegal fell just short of a comeback.

Haaland shows no signs of stopping

The superstars have certainly turned up at this World Cup, and Haaland is keeping pace at the top of the scoring charts, moving level with Kylian Mbappe (four goals) and one behind Lionel Messi in 2026.

It is no surprise Haaland got on the scoresheet, though. He has scored at least one goal in 18 of his last 21 competitive matches for Norway, netting in 12 straight (22 goals), dating back to November 2024.

He is the first Norwegian player to score in consecutive World Cup appearances and is the second player in the last 50 years to score multiple goals in each of his first two World Cup appearances (after Harry Kane in 2018).

Norway's best-ever result at the World Cup was when they reached the round of 16 in 1998, but even then, they did not lead at half-time in any of their games, something they have managed in both outings so far.

With France and Norway set to fight it out for top spot in the final game, Senegal will be desperate to get a win against Iraq that could take them through as one of the best third-placed teams.

They certainly have the players – Sarr became Senegal's joint-top scorer at the World Cup with three goals – and they were not short of chances, having 16 to Norway's 13, but they have not been as clinical as their opponents so far. 

Match Events:

43' - GOAL! Sub Pedersen opens scoring after mistakes by Koulibaly and Mendy

45' - POST! Haaland hits the post another another Mendy error

48' - GOAL! Haaland rifles home into roof of the net to become Norway's all-time leading scorer at World Cups!

53' - GOAL! Ismaila Sarr pulls one back with an excellent finish after being set up by Mane's neat flick on the edge of the box

58' - GOAL! Haaland's close-range finish restores Norway's two-goal cushion

90+3' - GOAL! Ismaila Sarr's composed finish sets up a nervy finish in East Rutherford