By Amaechi Agbo
African champions, Senegal faces group stage elimination at the onging 2026 World Cup after they lost to Norway in a five-goal thriller.
Erling Haaland scored twice as Norway booked their place in the last 32 of the World Cup with victory over Senegal in New Jersey. The loss is Senegal’s second in the competition after losing their opening match 3-1 against Spain last week.
After just two games in the competition, the Manchester City striker has now scored twice as many goals (four) as any other Norway player in World Cup history.
Full-back Marcus Pederson, on as an early substitute, capitalised on a poor clearance from Senegal captain Kalidou Koulibaly to put Norway 1-0 up late in the first half – before Haaland took over in the second.
He raced on to Martin Odegaard’s incisive through ball to double the lead in the 48th minute – becoming Norway’s all-time top scorer at World Cups in the process – before Ismaila Sarr pulled a goal back to give Senegal hope.
But Haaland restored his team’s two-goal cushion five minutes later with a calmly taken side-foot volley which went in off the bar.
Haaland has now scored in 12 consecutive competitive matches for Norway, registering at least two goals in each of the past six.
Sarr struck again in injury time to set up a nervy finale and the Crystal Palace winger could have equalised in the final seconds but put his header over the bar.
However, Stale Solbakken’s Norway had been much the better side, even in a somewhat scrappy first half, and held on for a second straight win that means they have qualified from Group I alongside France.
Senegal must beat Iraq in their last group game to have any chance of reaching the knockout stages.
Norway take on France in their final group game on Friday (20:00 BST). Both sides have already qualified but will be keen to finish top of the group.
Senegal face Iraq at the same time needing a win to have any chance of going through as one of the best third-placed teams.
Senegal Bonus Row
Senegal’s participation at the 2026 World Cup has been hampered by administration crisis including a high-profile internal crisis involving unpaid player bonuses, an unsigned head coach, and poor camp conditions that threatened to derail the Teranga Lions during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The friction stemmed from the aftermath of Senegal’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) triumph earlier in the year.
Despite receiving initial massive government rewards, deep administrative mismanagement led to an open standoff right before the World Cup kicked off in North America. Head coach Pape Thiaw confirmed on June 21, 2026, that the issue has finally been resolved following tense emergency interventions.
The dispute paralyzed the team’s initial tournament preparations due to several overlapping financial and administrative failures by the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF): Players were left waiting months for outstanding prize distribution and qualification money, triggering severe dissatisfaction within the camp.
Also, head coach Pape Thiaw had been working completely unpaid since February 2026. His contract expired shortly after the AFCON victory, and he initially refused to board the World Cup flight to the United States out of principle. Players publicly complained about substandard logistical operations, noting poor accommodation and low-quality food that forced squad members to order outside meals.
Internal federation leaks revealed that while players and staff lacked basic structural support, top officials had quietly awarded themselves multi-million FCFA exceptional bonuses without executive committee approval.
Ahead of their crucial World Cup Group I match against Norway, Pape Thiaw addressed reporters at MetLife Stadium. He noted that while the team was heavily distracted during their 3-1 opening-match loss to France, the federation has officially settled the outstanding back-pay and administrative technicalities. The manager emphasized that the stand was a matter of “principle and respect” and that the squad has fully shifted focus back to their on-field campaign
The outcome of these avoidable distractions is that Senegal could be eliminated from the World Cup at the group stage unless they beat Iraq in their final match on Friday at 8pm
