Erling Haaland continued his remarkable scoring spree on football’s biggest stage, netting twice as Norway secured a 3-2 victory over Senegal on Monday night at Gillette Stadium, clinching a place in the knockout rounds of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Manchester City star delivered another dominant performance for the Vikings, taking his tournament tally to four goals in just two matches and helping Norway improve to 2-0 in Group I. The victory guarantees Norway a spot in the Round of 32 alongside France, setting up a decisive showdown between the two European powers on Friday for first place in the group.
Haaland’s latest brace placed him among elite company. He became only the second player in the last 50 years to score two goals in each of his first two World Cup matches, joining England captain Harry Kane, who accomplished the feat in 2018.
The 25-year-old striker is now tied with France’s Kylian Mbappé for second in the tournament’s Golden Boot race, one goal behind Argentina captain Lionel Messi, who also scored twice earlier Monday.
Norway’s breakthrough came in the 43rd minute through an unlikely source. Defender Marcus Pedersen, making his World Cup debut after replacing the injured Julian Ryerson in the 13th minute, capitalized on a costly Senegalese mistake.
Martin Ødegaard delivered a dangerous ball into the area that Senegal captain Kalidou Koulibaly cleared only as far as Pedersen near the top of the penalty arc. The defender settled the ball with two touches before firing a shot toward goal. Senegal goalkeeper Édouard Mendy got a hand to it, but the effort slipped underneath him and into the net, giving Norway a 1-0 halftime lead.
Norway nearly doubled its advantage in first-half stoppage time when Haaland pounced on a loose ball after Mendy momentarily lost possession, but his attempt struck the post.
The Vikings did not have to wait long after the break to extend their lead.
Just three minutes into the second half, Ødegaard launched a swift counterattack with a perfectly weighted pass into space. Haaland raced onto it and calmly finished with a left-footed strike beyond Mendy’s outstretched hand to make it 2-0 in the 48th minute.
Senegal responded quickly through Ismaïla Sarr, whose goal in the 53rd minute briefly gave the Lions of Teranga hope. However, Haaland extinguished much of that momentum five minutes later.
Patrick Berg delivered an incisive pass into the penalty area, and Haaland burst through the defense before volleying home from eight yards out in the 58th minute. After scoring, he cupped his hand to his ear toward the sea of Norwegian supporters behind the goal, who erupted into the traditional Viking Row chant, rhythmically shouting “Ro!” while mimicking rowing motions.
The strike capped another memorable night for Norway’s talisman, who has now scored 24 goals in his last 12 international appearances and found the net in every match during that span. Overall, Haaland boasts an astounding 53 goals in 58 appearances for his country.
Despite trailing 3-1, Senegal continued to push forward and made the closing minutes uncomfortable for Norway. Sarr struck again in the third minute of second-half stoppage time to cut the deficit to one goal, but the African side could not complete the comeback.
The result leaves Senegal in a precarious position. The Lions of Teranga are 0-2 at a World Cup for the first time in their history and must defeat Iraq in their final group match while hoping other results fall in their favor to keep their tournament alive as a potential third-place qualifier.
For Norway, the victory marks another milestone in a resurgent campaign. Making their first World Cup appearance since 1998, the Vikings have quickly emerged as one of the tournament’s surprise contenders. With Haaland in unstoppable form and Ødegaard orchestrating the attack, Norway now turns its attention to a highly anticipated clash against France that will determine the Group I winner and potentially provide a more favorable route through the knockout stages.
On a night filled with star performances from Messi, Mbappé, and Haaland, it was Norway’s prolific striker who once again stole the spotlight, powering the Vikings one step closer to an unforgettable World Cup run.
