Erling Haaland continues to expand his legacy with the Norwegian national team. With the double he scored in the 3-2 victory over Senegal, the forward reached 59 goals in 52 international matches and reinforced his status as the Scandinavian team’s all-time top scorer.
The attacker was the great figure of the match played at the New York/New Jersey Stadium (MetLife Stadium), corresponding to the second day of Group I of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. His two goals were decisive for Norway to add its second consecutive victory in the tournament and be very close to the round of 16.
Marcus Holmgren Pedersen opened the scoring at minute 43. Already in the second half, Haaland extended the lead at 48 after completing a collective play. Senegal reacted quickly through Ismaïla Sarr in the 53rd minute, but the Norwegian striker reappeared five minutes later to make it 3-1.
Sarr scored again at 90+3 and created excitement in the final minutes, although Norway managed to maintain the advantage until the final whistle.
Four goals in two games
The double against Senegal raised Haaland’s scoring tally in the 2026 World Cup to four. The striker had already scored twice in the 4-1 victory against Iraq during the first day of the group stage.
With these numbers, the Manchester City attacker is among the top scorers in the tournament and confirms the excellent moment he is going through with both his club and the national team.
His ability to finish within the area and the partnership he has built with Martin Ødegaard have been determining factors in Norway’s good performance in the World Cup.
Norway gains momentum
The team led by Ståle Solbakken reached six points after two days and remains in the fight for the lead in Group I together with France.
Senegal, on the other hand, was left without points and seriously compromised its chances of advancing to the knockout phase.
Beyond the result, the day once again had an undisputed protagonist. Haaland not only led Norway to a key victory, but also continued to add to numbers that already place him among the most prolific forwards in international football.
With 59 goals in just 52 games, the Norwegian maintains an average of more than one score per game with his team and continues to add arguments to establish himself as one of the great figures of the 2026 World Cup.