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Erling Haaland scored another brace as Norway beat Senegal 3-2 to reach the World Cup Round of 32. The striker now has four goals in two matches at the tournament.
(Credit: AP)
Erling Haaland continued his red-hot start to the FIFA World Cup 2026, scoring his second consecutive brace as Norway edged Senegal 3-2 on Monday to secure a place in the Round of 32 with a game to spare.
The Manchester City striker took his tournament tally to four goals in two matches and raised his remarkable international record to 59 goals in just 52 appearances as Norway booked qualification alongside France from Group I.
Norway took control late in the first half when substitute Marcus Holmgren Pedersen capitalised on a costly mistake by Senegal captain Kalidou Koulibaly and squeezed a low effort past goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.
Haaland then doubled the advantage just three minutes after the restart. Martin Odegaard led a devastating counter-attack before sliding a perfectly weighted pass into the striker’s path, allowing him to finish emphatically beyond Mendy.
Senegal briefly fought back when Ismaila Sarr showed great composure to score after clever work from Sadio Mane. However, defensive errors continued to haunt the African side.
Koulibaly endured another difficult moment when he failed to clear Patrick Berg’s delivery, allowing Haaland to volley home via the crossbar and restore Norway’s two-goal cushion.
The strike ensured Norway recorded back-to-back World Cup victories for the first time in their history and further strengthened growing belief that this talented generation can make a deep run in the tournament.
Mory Diaw replaced the injured Mendy in goal, while Senegal nearly conceded a fourth before Pathe Ciss produced a crucial goal-line clearance to deny Oscar Bobb.
Sarr grabbed his second goal late on to set up a nervy finish, but Norway held firm to claim all three points.
The victory extends Norway’s impressive run to just one defeat in their last 18 matches. It also sets up a mouth-watering clash with France on Friday in Boston, where top spot in Group I will be on the line.
For Senegal, the defeat leaves their World Cup hopes hanging by a thread. They must now beat Iraq in their final group match and hope results elsewhere go their way to avoid an early exit.
(with AFP inputs)
About the Author
After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His…Read More
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