The FIFA World Cup 2026 Group I race is set to reach a pivotal moment as Senegal face Norway at MetLife Stadium — a fixture that could determine which teams advance to the knockout rounds.

Senegal opened their campaign with a 3-1 defeat to France, but the Teranga Lions matched the two-time world champions for much of the opening hour before Kylian Mbappe and company pulled away. Norway, meanwhile, cruised to a 4-1 victory over Iraq, with Erling Haaland delivering his trademark performance to send his side to the top of Group I on goal difference.

The stakes for Senegal

For Pape Thiaw's side, this match is non-negotiable. A second consecutive defeat would leave Senegal's hopes of reaching the knockout phase — for the third time in their World Cup history — in serious jeopardy. A victory, on the other hand, would blow Group I wide open and put all four teams back in contention.

Despite their opening loss, Senegal enter this fixture ranked 17th in the live FIFA World Rankings — a full 10 places above Norway. Before the tournament began, that gap stood at 16 places, underlining the Lions' quality on paper. Ibrahim Mbaye's stoppage-time strike against France offered a fleeting moment of hope, but it ultimately could not prevent the defeat.

Haaland's staggering numbers

Norway's challenge is built around one man. Erling Haaland now carries a World Cup goalscoring record of two goals per game, having scored 16 times during Norway's qualification campaign alone. His brace against Iraq was Norway's first win on North American soil, and a second straight victory would represent the country's most successful World Cup in terms of wins — surpassing their sole victory at France 1998, when current manager Stale Solbakken was himself part of the playing squad.

History between the sides

Norway and Senegal have met just once before — a friendly played 20 years ago in Dakar, which Senegal won 2-1. The Lions of Teranga will be desperate to repeat that result on the grandest stage of all.

Kick-off at MetLife Stadium is at 8:00pm ET on Monday. UK viewers can watch free on ITV, with coverage beginning at 12:15am BST. Australian fans can stream the game free on SBS On Demand, while US viewers can access it via Fox.