Norway and France advance from World Cup group as Haaland ties Klose record

The floodgates opened shortly after the restart. Within three minutes of the second half, Haaland doubled Norway's lead with a fine finish set up by Ödegaard, watched approvingly by Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus in the stands. He added his second in the 58th minute with an acrobatic volley from a Patrick Berg cross, taking his World Cup tally to four goals in two matches.

Senegal briefly threatened a fightback when Ismaila Sarr pulled one back in the 53rd minute, but Norway remained in control at 3-1. There were further chances for the Scandinavians in the closing stages before Sarr pounced on a defensive error in the third minute of stoppage time to set up a tense finish, the West Africans even spurning a golden opportunity to equalise at 3-3 before the final whistle.

Haaland matches Klose on the all-time list

The victory extends Haaland's prolific international form, with the striker now holding 59 goals in 52 senior appearances for Norway. His two strikes against Senegal drew him level with Miroslav Klose on 16 World Cup career goals, a benchmark the Norwegian acknowledged after the match. "Alle sprechen mich auf Kloses Rekord an", sagte der Stürmer, "es ist das erste Mal in meinem Leben, dass mir ein Rekord unwirklich vorkommt. Denn für mich war es undenkbar, dass ich in einem Wettbewerb, in dem jede große Legende des Fußballs gespielt hat, nach nur zwei Weltmeisterschaften im Alter von 27 Jahren bereits auf diesem Niveau sein würde."

The win also delivered a measure of revenge for Norway's long wait between World Cups. Their previous appearance at the tournament dates back to 1998, when the fathers of three current Norwegian players, including Erling's father Alf-Inge Haaland, also featured in the United States. The "mass rowing" celebration that became a viral pre-match ritual was performed not only in the streets of New York but also inside the Norwegian parliament in the build-up.

For Senegal, the picture is far bleaker. The 2021 Africa Cup of Nations runners-up arrived in the United States with high expectations but, as one report put it, "Die Afrikaner stehen nach dem zweiten 'Nuller' hingegen vor dem Aus." Having lost 3-1 to France in their opening fixture, they now face a must-win match against Iraq on Friday and require a heavy victory to keep alive their slim qualification hopes.

Senegal facing early elimination

Senegal's preparations, according to media reports, were far from smooth after the France defeat, and the team lacked the cutting edge shown by their captain Sadio Mané and forward Nicolas Jackson, both of whom had early chances against Norway but could not convert. A possible penalty after an elbow by Norway's David Möller Wolfe on Idrissa Gueye in the 75th minute was waved away.

Earlier in the evening, France had taken care of Iraq with a 3-0 win that secured their own passage to the knockout round. Kylian Mbappé, who scored twice against Senegal in the opener, was restricted to a single goal this time but his header moved him onto 14 World Cup goals overall, behind only Lionel Messi on 18 and Klose on 16. Coach Didier Deschamps acknowledged the importance of the third goal: "Das dritte Tor könnte entscheiden sein für die Tabelle", sagte Frankreichs Trainer Didier Deschamps.

France seal progress after weather delay

The France-Iraq match, played in the same metropolitan area, was disrupted for nearly two hours by severe weather around the stadium. Spectators were instructed to seek shelter via loudspeaker announcements, with one report summarising the delay as "Fast zwei Stunden Verzögerung: 'Suchen Sie bitte Schutz'". The recommended safety protocol is to suspend outdoor activities for at least 30 minutes whenever lightning is registered within roughly 13 kilometres, with each new strike resetting the 30-minute clock.

France's second-half performance, following the long weather break, was described by Deschamps as a fresh start. "Wir haben uns lange unterstellen müssen", he said, noting that the team used the time to regroup before completing the win. Mbappé has the opportunity to draw level with Klose on 16 goals as early as France's next match, while Messi, who overtook Klose by scoring twice in Argentina's 2-0 win over Austria earlier the same day, sits comfortably clear at the top.

The two results leave France and Norway level on six points at the top of Group I, setting up a direct meeting on Friday at 21:00 CET that will decide who finishes first. A draw would be enough for Norway only if they had beaten Senegal by two goals or more; with the margin just one, they now need a victory or, failing that, a draw combined with a favourable goal-difference scenario to overtake France.

Friday's decisive meeting in East Rutherford

For Iraq, the path forward is forbidding. Their 4-1 opening loss to Norway already left them playing catch-up, and even a more competitive 3-0 defeat against France did not alter the reality that they must beat Senegal heavily on Friday and hope other results fall their way to avoid a group-stage exit reminiscent of their only previous World Cup appearance in Mexico four decades ago.

Norway's confirmed qualification marks the high point of an evening that also produced a notable piece of tournament history, with Haaland's brace taking him past Norway's previous World Cup record holders. The achievement is particularly striking given that the Norwegian record was previously held jointly by Kjetil Rekdal, who scored once each in 1994 and 1998, meaning Haaland has matched the mark in a single tournament. The final round of Group I matches on Friday will determine the seeding for the knockout draw.

Norway's progress comes amid a tournament that has been played against a backdrop of unfamiliar logistical challenges in the United States, from heat to weather delays. None of those have yet derailed the favourites in Group I, however, and with France and Norway now safely through, the focus shifts to whether either side can sustain momentum deep into the competition.

The meeting between France and Norway in East Rutherford on Friday will also carry the secondary storyline of whether Mbappé can catch Klose before the knockout rounds begin. With Argentina's Messi, who against Austria became the competition's all-time leading scorer on 18 goals, sitting out the spotlight, the French forward has emerged as the most credible active challenger to that record, a prospect that one report noted leaves the French superstar filled with awe. ("löst beim französischen Superstar jedenfalls Ehrfurcht aus".)

Whether Norway can convert their group-stage platform into a deeper run will depend largely on whether Haaland, Ödegaard and Pedersen remain fit. Dortmund's Julian Ryerson, a teammate of injured Germany defender Nico Schlotterbeck, was forced off in the 13th minute against Senegal with an injury that required an ice pack on his thigh, while Haaland himself appeared to be managing minor physical discomfort late in the match. France, by contrast, look settled under Deschamps and have already demonstrated the kind of depth that has carried them deep into recent major tournaments.