Erling Haaland struck twice in the second half to fire Norway to a 3-2 victory over Senegal at a rain-soaked MetLife Stadium, sending Stale Solbakken's side into the last 32 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 alongside France.

The Manchester City striker took his Norway tally to 58 and 59 goals in just 52 internationals — a record-breaking haul that also makes him his country's all-time leading scorer at World Cups. He has now found the net in each of his last 12 competitive appearances for Norway, a streak that continued despite his frustration at missing out on a hat-trick on the night.

How the goals arrived

The match nearly did not happen at all. Fans were briefly evacuated from the stadium roughly four hours before kick-off after the US National Weather Service issued a flood watch for the East Rutherford area. The feared downpour held off during the game itself, and Norway made the most of the dry spell.

Morten Pedersen, introduced as a substitute, broke the deadlock in the 43rd minute, capitalising on errors by Kalidou Koulibaly and Édouard Mendy. Haaland then struck the post moments later following another Mendy mistake, before rifling home three minutes after the restart to make it 2-0 — that goal confirmed him as Norway's greatest World Cup scorer.

Ismaila Sarr clawed one back in the 53rd minute with a composed finish after a sharp flick from Sadio Mané on the edge of the area. But Haaland was not finished: his close-range effort in the 58th minute restored Norway's two-goal advantage and appeared to settle the contest.

Sarr had the final word, however, converting a second goal deep into stoppage time — the 93rd minute — to make it 3-2 and set up a nervy closing spell in New Jersey. It was not enough for Senegal, who must now defeat Iraq by a significant margin in their final Group I fixture on Friday if they are to stand any chance of reaching the knockout rounds.

Norway on the rise, Senegal under pressure

Norway's win is their second of the tournament — more victories than they had recorded across all their previous World Cup appearances combined. They face France on Friday in a top-of-the-group showdown to determine who lifts the Group I title.

For Senegal, the equation is stark. A comfortable win against Iraq is now essential, and goal difference could prove decisive. The Teranga Lions have the firepower — Sarr's double was evidence of that — but the margins are tight and time is running out.