Norway booked their place in the knockout stages of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after edging past Senegal in a thrilling 3-2 contest.

Despite a late push from the African nation, Norway held firm to secure all three points and confirm their progression to the Round of 32.

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NORWAY 3-2 SENEGAL

• Goals: Pederson, Haaland x2 | Sarr x2
• Assists: Odegaard, Berg | Mane, Jackson
• Tackle bonus: Mane
• Shots on target bonus: Haaland | Sarr
• Top points scorers: Sarr (15), Haaland (13), Pederson (10

TEAM STATS

PLAYER STATS

SCOUT NOTES

• The statistics painted the picture of a closely contested game. Norway claimed all three points, generated more xG (expected goals) and created two more big chances than Senegal. However, Senegal edged possession and finished with three more attempts on goal.
• Norway suffered an early setback when Julian Ryerson ($4.2m) limped off with what appeared to be a thigh injury. The Borussia Dortmund defender had already been managing the issue following the previous match but could not continue.

“He trained a little bit now and then. So, we had a conversation with him this morning and then he wanted to try. He had played with such pain before but it just got worse and worse. And then I just decided to take him out, because he was put down twice by a man in the first two attacks. And then there’s nothing to wait for. So it was a calculated gamble that didn’t work.” – Stale Solbakken on Julian Ryerson

• Before his withdrawal, Ryerson had already created a big chance with a corner that Kristoffer Ajer ($4.3m) failed to convert.
• Ryerson’s replacement, Marcus Pedersen ($4.1m), made an immediate impact. The full-back reacted quickest to a defensive mistake and fired Norway into the lead.
• That breakthrough came after Martin Ødegaard ($7.7m) had passed up two excellent opportunities. Pedersen picked him out for the first, but the midfielder blazed over the bar. He then failed to capitalise after Erling Haaland ($10.5m) nodded the ball into his path, giving him another clear sight of goal.
• Ødegaard quickly made amends. He led a swift counter-attack before threading a perfectly weighted pass into Haaland, who calmly slotted beyond the goalkeeper to double Norway’s lead. Despite his influence, Ødegaard finished with just seven Fantasy points when he could easily have delivered much more.
• Haaland, meanwhile, produced exactly what Fantasy managers expected. After scoring Norway’s second, he added a third by volleying home after half-time substitute Patrick Berg ($5.6m) poked the ball across the six-yard box. The finish clipped the underside of the crossbar before crossing the line. Earlier in the match, Haaland had also struck the post after capitalising on an error from Édouard Mendy ($4.5m) and later forced the Senegal goalkeeper into another smart save with a powerful header. Overall, the striker fully deserved his 13-point haul.
• Senegal improved significantly after the interval, creating all three of their big chances in the second half. Ismaïla Sarr ($6.2m) proved their biggest attacking threat. Slick passing around the penalty area allowed him to scoop home his first goal while losing his balance, before another move down the left ended with Sarr curling a superb finish into the far corner for his second. He offered little creatively but consistently threatened the goal, earning an outstanding 15-point Fantasy return.
• Sadio Mané ($7.6m) also impressed despite failing to score. He supplied the assist for Senegal’s opening goal and created five key passes throughout the match. However, he could not convert his own opportunities and finished without registering a shot on target.
• Norway assets face a difficult test against France in their Group I decider, which will limit their Fantasy appeal. They’d need a win to get top spot (which would give Norway a third-place team in the Round of 32) but second place means a likely meeting with Cote d’Ivoire, so it’s not the worst consolation prize.
• Senegal players, meanwhile, could attract significant interest ahead of their meeting with Iraq. They will need victory to keep alive their hopes of qualifying as one of the tournament’s best third-placed teams.