Norway beats Senegal 3:2 and advances to the World Cup Round of 16

Norway had to make an early change: in the 13th minute, Marcus Pedersen, under contract with FC Turin, came on for the injured Julian Ryerson of Borussia Dortmund. The 28-year-old Ryerson watched the rest of the match from the touchline with an ice pack on his thigh. Shortly afterward, Pedersen capitalized on a misplaced pass from Kalidou Koulibaly and scored Norway's opener in the 43rd minute. The stadium commentary noted: "Tooor für Norwegen, 1:0 durch Marcus Pedersen".

First Half: Pedersen Puts Norway Ahead

In the first half, Senegal had a good opportunity through Nicolas Jackson in the 28th minute, but he was denied by the impressive Edouard Mendy, who also saved efforts from Kristoffer Ajer in the third minute and Martin Ödegaard in the 37th. Just before the halftime whistle, Haaland latched onto a mistake by goalkeeper Mendy from a tight angle but struck only the right post: "trifft aus spitzem Winkel aber nicht das leere Tor, sondern nur den rechten Pfosten", the live ticker read. The official stoppage time for the first half was four minutes.

Immediately after the restart, Haaland struck with clinical efficiency. In the 48th minute, he made it 2:0, accompanied in the live ticker by the words: "Tooor für Norwegen, 2:0 durch Erling Haaland". The contest was not yet decided, however, as Ismaïla Sarr pulled one back for Senegal just five minutes later. "Tooor für Sénégal, 2:1 durch Ismaïla Sarr", read the corresponding commentary. Sarr, who plays as a right winger for Crystal Palace, became the most prominent performer for the African champions with his two goals.

Haaland Strikes Twice

In the 58th minute, Haaland restored the two-goal cushion with his second strike, effectively settling the contest. The 25-year-old further extended his impressive record: after 52 international appearances, the Manchester City forward has now scored 59 goals for his national team, with his market value estimated at 200 million euros. He has also scored in 12 consecutive competitive matches for Norway. Coach Solbakken summed it up in the live ticker: "Er ist 'on fire'" and added: "Er hätte heute sogar vier Tore machen können".

Senegal pushed back against the looming defeat and made a double substitution in the 54th minute: Ismail Jakobs came on for El Hadji Diouf, while Ibrahim Mbaye replaced Pape Gueye. In the 63rd minute, goalkeeper Mendy had to limp off injured, with Mory Diaw taking his place; at the same time, Pathé Ciss replaced the yellow-carded Lamine Camara. "Er humpelt vom Spielfeld und kann wohl nicht mehr weitermachen. Mory Diaw kommt für Mendy aufs Feld", the ticker wrote.

Injuries and Substitutions on Both Sides

Norway responded at halftime with a double change, bringing on Patrick Berg from Norwegian club Bodø/Glimt for Fredrik Aursnes. "der Spieler von Bodø, Berg, neu dabei", the live ticker noted. In the 71st minute, Solbakken also swapped Antonio Nusa for Andreas Schjelderup. For Senegal, the struggling captain Koulibaly was taken off in the 72nd minute, replaced by Pape Sarr.

In the 75th minute, referee Sampaio reviewed a possible foul by David Möller Wolfe on Idrissa Gueye but decided against awarding a penalty. In stoppage time, Sarr pulled another goal back in the 93rd minute, but the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations champion could not do more. Full-time: 3:2 for Norway.

Late Goals and Final Score

With the victory, Norway advanced to the World Cup Round of 16 before their final group game. The live ticker put it this way: "Haaland-Doppelpack bringt Norwegen ins Sechzehntelfinale". France had also already qualified from Group I, so the picture for the final matchday is clear: Norway can go into Friday's showdown against the equally flawless French with confidence, vying for top spot in the group. For Senegal, the final group match against Iraq represents a last chance.

Reactions: Haaland, Solbakken and the Fans

Off the pitch, the match also generated plenty of headlines. Haaland revealed after the game that he had agreed with captain Martin Ödegaard of Arsenal on the rowing celebration should Norway win. It was "der perfekte Moment", said the two-goal scorer. Overall, the evening was for him "ein unglaublicher Abend", as he added, and he was "super stolz" on his team. Asked about the upcoming clash with France, the striker was notably relaxed: "Es ist mir egal, wir sind durch. Sie schlagen uns vielleicht und holen dann den Titel" and added with a wink: "Wahrscheinlich gewinnen sie gegen uns. Wahrscheinlich gewinnen sie das ganze Turnier".

Coach Solbakken, who previously also managed 1. FC Köln and whose age was listed in the ticker as 58, assessed his protégé's performance in measured terms: "Es ist einfacher, Torschützenkönig zu werden, wenn du für Frankreich oder Argentinien spielst, aber wir werden versuchen, Erling mehr Spiele und mehr Hilfe zu geben". Of the traveling Norwegian fans, he said simply: "Fantastisch". In the VIP area, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus watched the proceedings.

Outlook: France as Final Group-Stage Opponent

Norway now sits atop Group I with six points from two matches — level on points with France, which has also qualified. Senegal, after a second defeat, remains on zero points and faces elimination. The group winner will be decided on Friday; at the same time, Iraq faces Senegal in the final group match. The World Cup is being held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

According to available data, the Norwegian squad has a market value of 589.90 million euros, while Senegal's is valued at 478.10 million euros. Nico Schlotterbeck, a Germany international and Ryerson's teammate at Borussia Dortmund, had been ruled out shortly before the tournament due to injury.

By reaching the Round of 16, the Norwegian team has met a self-imposed interim target. Friday's match against France will show whether the Scandinavian dark horse can genuinely contend for the group win. Haaland and his teammates have shown with their two opening victories that, in this form, they can be dangerous for any team in the world.

The news agency APA's live ticker ended on June 23, 2026, at 01:20, by which time the match had already been decided. Overall: Norway has done its duty with the 3:2 victory over Senegal; the encore is to follow on Friday against France.

For Senegal, coach Pape Thiaw will meanwhile have to help his team process the disappointment. After defeats against France and Norway, the side faces a decisive match against Iraq, where a win is absolutely necessary to keep alive any chance of progressing. The "Lions of Teranga" must finally turn the attacking threat that flickered twice through Sarr into points — otherwise, the tournament will be over for the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations champions after the group stage.