EAST RUTHERFORD, United States — Manchester City talisman Erling Haaland matching the exploits of his superstar rivals on the global stage, netting a blistering second-half brace to power Norway to a thrilling 3-2 victory over Senegal at a rain-swept MetLife Stadium.
The high-octane encounter on Monday night, June 22, 2026, secured Norway’s passage to the World Cup Round of 32 alongside Group I heavyweights France, who had earlier dispatched Iraq in a lightning-delayed fixture.
Okay News sports reports that the kickoff in New Jersey was threatened by heavy elements after the US National Weather Service issued a flash flood watch, briefly forcing stadium personnel to clear the concourses hours before the match. When the weather cleared, the game erupted into tactical chaos late in the first half. A calamitous defensive mix-up between Kalidou Koulibaly and goalkeeper Édouard Mendy allowed substitute Marcus Holmgren Pedersen to slot home an easy opener in the 43rd minute, giving the Scandinavians a precious psychological edge heading into the locker rooms.
The second half completely belonged to the elite marksmen. Fired up after watching Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé score braces earlier in the day, Erling Haaland announced himself in the 48th minute, tracking an opening to rifle a powerful strike into the roof of the net—becoming Norway’s all-time leading scorer at World Cups. Senegal hit back five minutes later when Al-Ahli winger Ismaïla Sarr side-footed an excellent finish beyond Ørjan Nyland following a deft Sadio Mané flick on the edge of the area. Haaland quickly restored the two-goal cushion on the hour mark with an instinctive close-range finish, registering his 59th international goal in just 52 games. Sarr struck again deep in stoppage time to set up a frantic finale, but the Teranga Lions fell short. Senegal must now heavily thrash Iraq on Friday and rely on external group mathematics to keep their knockout hopes alive.
