Erling Haaland produced exactly the kind of night the biggest stage demands, scoring twice in the second half to drag Norway to a 3-2 win over Senegal at a soaked MetLife Stadium and book Stale Solbakken's side a spot in the World Cup last 32.
Key takeaways
- Haaland's second-half brace sealed a 3-2 win and Norway's place in the World Cup last 32.
- His goals were his 58th and 59th for Norway in just 52 caps, making him the nation's all-time leading World Cup scorer.
- A pre-match flood watch briefly cleared the stadium, but the predicted storm never arrived.
- Norway top Group I on the line next against France; Senegal must beat Iraq heavily to survive.
With Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe both having grabbed headlines with braces of their own earlier in the group stage, it felt almost inevitable that Norway's talisman would answer in kind. The Manchester City striker did just that, registering his 58th and 59th international goals in only his 52nd appearance — and stretching his scoring run to a 12th straight competitive game for his country.
The Norwegians celebrated in the only way they know how at this tournament, sitting on the turf to perform their now-famous "Viking row" as drummer-in-chief Martin Odegaard set the rhythm. It capped a second win of the competition for a nation that had never managed more than one victory across all their previous World Cups combined.
A storm that never came
For a while it looked as though the game might not happen at all. Roughly four hours before kick-off, supporters were briefly ushered out of the stadium as heavy rain swept in and the US National Weather Service issued a flood watch across the area and nearby New York. In the end the predicted downpour held off, the fans returned, and the football took over.
The deadlock broke just before half-time when substitute Mohamed Pedersen pounced after a mix-up between Kalidou Koulibaly and Edouard Mendy. Haaland nearly made it two moments later, rattling the post following another Mendy error, and his frustration was clear at the interval.
It did not last long. Three minutes into the second half he rifled a finish into the roof of the net to become Norway's all-time leading World Cup scorer. Ismaila Sarr hit straight back on 53 minutes with a sharp finish after a clever Sadio Mane flick, but Haaland restored the two-goal cushion just before the hour with a close-range strike. Sarr's composed effort deep in stoppage time set up a nervous finale, yet Norway held on.
"I don't care, we are through — they'll probably beat us and go on and win the whole tournament!"
— Erling Haaland, joking about Friday's group-deciding clash with France
Matching the very best
You could sense from kick-off that Haaland was fully switched on, clearly fired up by watching Messi and Mbappe steal the spotlight in their own group games. His response was emphatic: a brace in the New Jersey rain that not only carried Norway into the knockouts but underlined why no one will fancy facing them in this kind of form.
The 25-year-old has now found the net in 18 of his last 21 competitive games for the national side. He also became just the sixth player ever to score multiple goals in each of his first two World Cup appearances — a statement to every rival striker at the tournament. The only complaint, by his own admission, was a missed open goal that denied him a hat-trick.
The bottom line: Norway are into the last 32 and top spot in Group I is on the line against France. Senegal, despite Sarr's brace, must now beat Iraq heavily on Friday to keep their own knockout hopes alive.
For all the focus on Haaland, the celebration told its own story. "At the start, people doubted a little — like, is this something that's going to last or just die off? But it's been a massive part of our World Cup so far," midfielder Patrick Berg said of the rowing routine. "The energy we create together with the fans is really important for us." Forward Alexander Sorloth was just as taken: "It was incredibly fun. When you hear the sound, it's magical."
Solbakken, meanwhile, was unequivocal about his star man. "He is the best striker — and he's not playing for France or Argentina, he scores for Norway," the coach said. "It's easier to win the Golden Boot when you play for those teams, but we'll try to give Erling more games and more help. He's on fire, and I'm very happy he can do it on the biggest stage."
