Haaland double lifts Norway past Senegal into World Cup last 32

Erling Haaland kept Norway from losing its grip when Senegal surged twice, scoring a second-half double that sealed a 3-2 win at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The result sent Norway into the World Cup round of 32 and put the striker on four tournament goals.

Norway had opened the match with Marcus Pedersen capitalizing on Senegal defensive errors, and Haaland made it 2-0 just after the break. That goal changed the tactical shape of the game: Senegal had to push higher, open space, and chase the score, while Norway could lean on the one player most capable of finishing the contest when the pressure mounted.

Senegal still found a way back. Ismaïla Sarr scored twice, including a goal in stoppage time that made the closing minutes tense and forced Norway to defend deep under heavy pressure. Even then, Haaland’s finishing had already done the crucial work. His first-time right-foot strike for Norway’s third goal restored breathing room at the exact moment Senegal threatened to turn momentum into a comeback.

The victory carried weight beyond one match. Norway advanced with six points and sat level with France at the top of Group I, a significant marker in its first World Cup appearance in 28 years. Senegal, meanwhile, was left needing to beat Iraq in its final group match to keep any path to the knockout rounds alive.

Haaland’s brace was his second straight two-goal performance in this World Cup, lifting his total to four and keeping him in the adidas Golden Boot race. AP noted that only Harry Kane, at the 2018 World Cup, had scored twice in each of his first two matches over the past 50 years, a comparison that underlined how rare Haaland’s start has been. For Norway, the broader lesson was just as clear: elite finishing did not merely add goals, it changed the terms of the match and carried the team into the last 32.