World Cup 2026: Senegal’s hopes hang by a thread after 3-2 defeat to Norway

On the 22nd of June, Senegal’s World Cup campaign was left on a knife edge after a 3-2 defeat to Norway at a rain-soaked MetLife Stadium. Erling Haaland’s second-half double helped Norway secure victory and book a place in the last 32, while Senegal now face a must-win final Group I clash against Iraq if they are to keep their knockout-stage hopes alive.

Norway took the lead in the 43rd minute through substitute Marcus Pedersen after costly mistakes by Kalidou Koulibaly and Édouard Mendy. Haaland then struck the post shortly after another Mendy error, before finding the net twice in quick succession after the break to continue his remarkable scoring run on the global stage.Senegal did not go down without a fight. Sadio Mané’s clever flick set up Ismaïla Sarr for a fine finish to pull one back, and Sarr later completed his brace after Nicolas Jackson chose the more unselfish option and played him through on goal. The late response gave Senegal renewed hope, but Norway held on to a result that reflected a tight contest, with ESPN’s expected-goals model giving them a slight edge.

What it means for Senegal

The result leaves Senegal with little room for error. After a narrow defeat to France in their opening match, they now need a strong performance against Iraq and may also require a significant swing in goal difference, depending on how the France-Norway match plays out.Norway, meanwhile, recorded their second victory of this tournament alone, more than they managed across all their previous World Cup appearances combined, and now face France on Friday to determine who tops Group I.

For Senegal, the math is brutal but not impossible: a win over Iraq and a significant goal difference swing, may be required depending on how the France-Norway fixture unfolds. Pape Thiaw’s side, who entered this tournament insisting they did not view themselves as underdogs, now find themselves needing something close to that same spirit of 2002, just to keep their World Cup alive past this week.

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