Erling Haaland enters the Golden Boot battle with Messi and Mbappé after back-to-back World Cup braces for Norway Football News:

Norway’s Erling Haaland, left, celebrates with David Moeller Wolfe after scoring their third goal during the World Cup Group I soccer match between Norway and Senegal in East Rutherford, NJ, near New York, Monday, June 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Steve Luciano)

The Norway striker scored twice in a 3-2 win over Senegal to send his country to the knockout stage and continue one of the greatest international scoring runs football has ever seen.Erling Haaland arrived at the 2026 FIFA World Cup carrying the weight of expectation that follows every elite striker, and within just two games of his debut on football’s biggest stage, he has already begun to transform that expectation into a series of performances that have already changed Norway’s place in World Cup history.Haaland scored twice as Norway beat Senegal 3-2 in a thrilling Group I contest at MetLife Stadium, a result that secured qualification for the Round of 32 and set up a decisive final group stage meeting with France on June 27 to determine who will finish top of the group.For Norway, appearing in a World Cup for the first time since 1998, the victory marks a long-awaited return to relevance on the global stage, while for Haaland it represents another step in an extraordinary international career that continues to gather momentum with each appearance.

Norway bounced back from pressure from Senegal to secure qualification

For most of the opening period, Senegal matched Norway’s strength and threatened to break their rhythm, forcing Ståle Solbakken’s team into a contest that required patience as much as attacking quality. The breakthrough eventually came in the 43rd minute when a costly misunderstanding between Kalidou Koulibaly and goalkeeper Édouard Mendy allowed Marcus Holmgren Pedersen to capitalize, giving Norway the lead before the interval.That moment shifted the balance of the game, and Norway carried that advantage into the second half with renewed confidence. Just two minutes after the start, Martin Ødegaard made a pass that showed his vision and precision, placing an inch-perfect ball into Haaland’s path, which the striker converted with composure to double the lead.

Erling Haaland (9) of Norway scores their third goal during the World Cup Group I soccer match between Norway and Senegal in East Rutherford, NJ, near New York, Monday, June 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephen Collingwood)

Senegal quickly responded, with Sadio Mané driving forward and creating space for Ismaïla Sarr, who managed to finish while falling to the ground in the 53rd minute, reducing the deficit and briefly restoring the tension of the competition.However, Haaland’s influence also proved decisive. In the 58th minute, he met the ball for the first time inside the penalty area and hit a powerful volley that clipped the underside of the crossbar before crossing the line, restoring Norway’s two-goal advantage and putting it firmly in control.Sarr’s second goal deep in stoppage time ensured a tense conclusion, but Norway held on to secure the victory that confirmed their progress to the knockout rounds.

Haaland became Norway’s biggest World Cup sponsor

Haaland entered the tournament without a single World Cup goal, but within two games he has amassed four, a total that makes him Norway’s top goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history. In doing so, he surpassed the previous national record of two goals held by Kjetil Rekdal, a mark that stood since Norway’s last appearance at the tournament in 1998, meaning Haaland broke a record that had remained untouched for 28 years.

Erling Haaland (9) of Norway reacts during the World Cup Group I soccer match between Norway and Senegal in East Rutherford, NJ, near New York, Monday, June 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

What makes this incredible achievement is not only the number itself but the speed with which it was achieved, as Haaland needed only two appearances to establish himself as his country’s top scorer in the World Cup competition.His four goals came via back-to-back braces against Iraq and Senegal, placing him in a select group of players who have started their World Cup journeys with exceptional scoring consistency.

A feat seen only six times in World Cup history

By scoring twice against Senegal, Haaland became the sixth player to score multiple goals in each of his first two World Cup appearances.The exclusive list spans nearly a century of tournament history and includes some of football’s greatest forwards.Before Haaland, only five players had achieved the feat, each doing so with spectacular scoring bursts in their opening two matches.

Now Haaland has joined them, scoring back-to-back braces against Iraq and Senegal.Even more impressively, he is only the second player in the last 50 years to achieve the milestone, following Kane’s stunning start for England in Russia eight years earlier.For a player making his World Cup debut at the age of 25, it represents a rare introduction to the tournament.

A scoring record unlike any seen in modern football

While his World Cup performances have attracted significant attention, they have only been part of a wider international record that continues to set new benchmarks.Haaland’s two goals against Senegal took his tally to 59 goals in just 52 appearances for Norway, giving him a goal-per-game ratio of 1.13, which is the highest recorded by any international men’s player with at least 50 caps in the last 100 years.To understand the scale of this success, it is necessary to consider the players who followed behind him.

So Haaland’s efficiency puts him not only ahead of his contemporaries but above most of the top scorers in football history.His latest goal also extends a remarkable run of consistency, as he has now scored in 12 consecutive competitive appearances for Norway and found the net in 18 of his last 21 competitive international games.

The race for the Golden Boot is heating up ahead of the clash with France

Haaland’s brace also ensured he remained firmly in contention for the Golden Boot, with four goals from two games putting him level with France captain Kylian Mbappé and just one behind Lionel Messi, who reached five goals after the latest game in Argentina.Norway’s qualification guarantees that Haaland will have more opportunities to add to his tally, starting with Friday’s meeting against France, a match that will determine the winner of Group I while also bringing together two of the tournament’s biggest forwards.Mbappé arrived after scoring twice against Iraq, while Haaland joined the competition after another decisive performance against Senegal, setting the stage for a contest that brought competition and individual excellence.For Norway, progressing to the knockout rounds marks their first since 1998, but for Haaland, the focus continues to go beyond qualification, as his four goals in two games have already placed him among the standout performers of the tournament, with the possibility that his influence will continue to grow as the competition progresses.