Norway confirmed its spot in the knockout rounds with a 3-2 win over Senegal on a soggy Monday night in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
It was the Erling Haaland show at NY/NJ (MetLife) Stadium, with the Manchester City FC striker scoring twice, his third and fourth goals already at this World Cup. Norway dominated the early portion of the game but had to hold on for the result at the end, with Senegal twice pulling within one goal and refusing to go quietly.
The narrow loss made it two straight defeats for Senegal in New Jersey after they fell 3-1 to France, and with zero points through two matches played, it will take a big win and some help elsewhere for Senegal to reach the Round of 32.
Norway: 1.97 xG, 13 shots, 7 shots on target, 42% possession, 352 passes, 80% pass accuracy, 13 fouls, 5 corners, 2 saves
Senegal: 2.20 xG, 16 shots, 4 shots on target, 58% possession, 488 passes, 88% pass accuracy, 5 fouls, 4 corners, 3 saves
Goals:
• Norway, Marcus Holmgren Pedersen, 43'
Norway, Erling Haaland, 48'
Senegal, Ismaïla Sarr, 53'
Norway, Erling Haaland, 58'
Senegal, Ismaïla Sarr, 90'+3'
Attendance: 80,663
Norway's dominant first half
Norway nearly took the lead three minutes in, using their size to capitalize on a set piece. A cross targeted Kristoffer Ajer, the 6-foot-5 centerback, who was right in front of the goal but blasted his header within reach of Édouard Mendy, who pulled off a great save.
Édouard Mendy makes a BIG save for Senegal early! 🧤 pic.twitter.com/vkJKJLdhMK
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 23, 2026
The game started to open up, with both sides going back and forth in terms of attacking chances. Senegal had more possession, but Norway was winning the ball in the middle-third and looked more dangerous.
Mendy made his second save — which was another outstanding stop — in the 37th minute, which started with a cross from Antonio Nusa that found Erling Haaland. With both Senegal center-backs drawn to Haaland, the striker cleverly flicked the ball to Martin Ødegaard, whose point-blank shot was stopped by Mendy.
This view of Édouard Mendy's world class save on Martin Ødegaard 😳 pic.twitter.com/F2ElQnhICR
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 23, 2026
Norway was knocking on the door and finally found its goal minutes before halftime. A through-ball from Ødegaard was easily intercepted by Kalidou Koulibaly, but instead of clearing the ball, he passed it right to Marcus Holmgren Pedersen. Mendy got a hand on the substitute's shot, but it wasn't enough to keep it out, sending the Norwegian fans into celebration.
NORWAY TAKES THE LEAD OVER SENEGAL 🇳🇴
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 23, 2026
It's the substitute Pedersen with the go-ahead goal! pic.twitter.com/TO1hzaIvGH
It was Senegal's 13th straight World Cup match played without a clean sheet. Out of the 48 teams participating, only Saudi Arabia (18) has gone longer without a clean sheet at the tournament.
Just a few minutes later, Senegal made another critical mistake. A pressing Haaland dispossessed Mendy and should've made it 2-0 with an open goal in front of him, but his shot hit off the near post. Norway won the ball back and created another chance through Haaland, but this time, his header was nicely saved by Mendy, who made up for the sloppy turnover.
Two HUGE chances for Erling Haaland to double Norway's lead! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/cJg6SErXNg
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) June 23, 2026
With eight shots — four on target — and an xG of 1.22 for Norway, Senegal was lucky to only be trailing 1-0 at halftime.
Haaland at the double
On a day when Lionel Messi became the World Cup's all-time leading scorer, another contender for the 2026 tournament's Golden Boot continued to make a case for himself.
Haaland had two good chances go unfinished in the first half, but the 25-year-old finally got on the scoresheet three minutes into the second half. Norway worked from defense to offense quickly, with Ødegaard taking the ball up the pitch by himself until the final third, where he passed it off to Haaland for a routine finish past Mendy.
HAALAND GOOOAAL to double Norway's advantage! 🇳🇴 pic.twitter.com/a6wPnRRk7E
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) June 23, 2026
It was Haaland's 12th straight game with a goal for Norway, and an important one that gave his country some breathing room.
Senegal wasn't entirely done just yet, though, pulling a goal back five minutes later when a hard-hit pass into the final third found Sadio Mané, who impressively flicked on to Ismaïla Sarr. Despite falling down, the Crystal Palace winger got his shot off in time and placed it past Ørjan Nyland.
Ismaïla Sarr pulls one back for Senegal! 🇸🇳 pic.twitter.com/XzpP3ha1X6
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 23, 2026
Senegal got some life back, but Norway responded almost instantly, and it was Haaland again. Five minutes after Sarr's goal, Haaland scored a poacher's goal, the 59th time he's found the net for Norway to date.
ERLING HAALAND BAGS A BRACE TO MAKE IT 3-1 NORWAY! 🇳🇴
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) June 23, 2026
Truly unreal goalscoring prowess from the Norwegian striker pic.twitter.com/WEWtTWdmtr
Haaland's four goals put him in a tie with Kylian Mbappé for the second-most goals at this World Cup, only trailing Lionel Messi's five. It has quickly turned into a must-see Golden Boot race.
Senegal had more possession and created more chances after Haaland secured his brace, with Ismaïla Sarr finishing a brace of his own in the third minute of second-half stoppage time.
Senegal has hope in stoppage time 🇸🇳
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 23, 2026
A late goal cuts the Norway lead to 3-2! pic.twitter.com/VhYOuE5v1s
That made it 3-2 and meant Norway had to see out five more of the nine minutes added nursing a lead, but they did so despite a few other close calls around Ørjan Nyland's goal.
Norway next plays France on Friday in Boston, Massachusetts, with both teams picking up two wins and with first place in the group on the line, along with the Mbappé-Haaland Golden Boot race. Senegal closes out the group by playing Iraq, who they'll need to beat comfortably if they hope to earn a spot among the eight third-place qualifiers for the knockouts.
