Norway striker Erling Haaland delivered another world-class performance on Tuesday morning, scoring twice to guide his side to an entertaining 3-2 victory over Senegal in a crucial Group I encounter at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Manchester City superstar was at the heart of Norway’s attacking dominance as the Scandinavians secured their second win of the tournament and strengthened their hopes of reaching the knockout stages.
Norway dominate first half
Norway started brightly and nearly broke the deadlock inside three minutes when defender Kristoffer Ajer met a corner with a powerful header, but Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy reacted well to keep the effort out.
The pressure continued as Martin Odegaard tested Senegal’s defence in the 14th minute, sending a shot narrowly over the crossbar after a neat attacking move.
After creating several opportunities, Norway finally found the breakthrough just before halftime. A defensive mistake gifted possession to Marcus Pedersen, who calmly finished past Mendy in the 43rd minute to hand Norway a deserved lead.
Haaland almost doubled the advantage moments later when he struck the post in stoppage time after capitalising on another defensive lapse.
Haaland takes centre stage
The Norwegian star wasted little time making his mark after the restart.
Just three minutes into the second half, Haaland collected a perfectly weighted pass from captain Martin Odegaard before firing a clinical finish into the bottom corner to make it 2-0.
Senegal attempted to respond and nearly pulled one back through Nicolas Jackson, but goalkeeper Orjan Nyland produced an excellent save to preserve Norway’s advantage.
The African side eventually found a lifeline in the 53rd minute when Ismaila Sarr unleashed a stunning strike into the top corner after racing onto a clever through ball.
However, Norway restored their two-goal cushion only five minutes later. Following a flowing team move, Haaland once again showed his quality by finishing confidently, with his effort bouncing in off the crossbar to make it 3-1 and complete his brace.
Senegal fight back but fall short
Senegal refused to surrender and continued to push forward in search of a comeback.
Their persistence paid off when Sarr grabbed his second goal of the match during the closing stages, reducing the deficit to 3-2 and setting up a tense finale.
Despite the late pressure, Norway remained composed and held on to secure all three points in a highly entertaining contest.
Group I standings
The victory moves Norway onto six points from two matches, level with group leaders France, who remain ahead on goal difference.
For Senegal, the defeat leaves them in a difficult position heading into their final group fixture. The Teranga Lions must now defeat Iraq convincingly and hope other results go their way to keep their World Cup hopes alive.
With Haaland in sensational form and Odegaard pulling the strings in midfield, Norway are emerging as one of the tournament’s early dark horses as they continue their quest for a deep run at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
