Norway vs. Senegal Match Preview: Mané’s Last Dance Meets Haaland’s Debut | OneFootball

Norway aims to secure a spot in the round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup on the second matchday of Group I. They face Senegal on Monday, once again relying on the firepower of Erling Haaland to make it six points out of six.

Below is all the key information you need to know before the Norway vs. Senegal game. Let’s get into it.

Norway vs. Senegal

Kickoff: 8:00 pm ET/5:00 pm PTMetLife Stadium, East RutherfordWatch on FOX, Telemundo and fuboTV

Norway leads Group I after beating Iraq 4-1 on the opening matchday. Senegal, on the other hand, arrives needing a win after losing 3-1 to France.

A Norwegian victory would mean virtually assured qualification for the round of 32, while another Senegalese defeat would make progression almost impossible.

For Norway, this World Cup holds special meaning: it marks the national team’s return to the tournament after 28 years.

Erling Haaland and Martin Ødegaard are making their World Cup debuts, and all of Norway is experiencing it as a historic event. On the other side, Sadio Mané, 34 years old, 129 caps, 55 goals, is playing what is likely his last World Cup, having missed Qatar 2022 due to injury at the peak of his career.

Norway: Team News & Predicted Lineups

Norway comfortably won their first matchday against an Iraqi side that nevertheless rose to the occasion.

The World Cup debut lived up to expectations. Haaland scored two goals in the first half, in the 29th and 43rd minutes, and although Iraq momentarily pulled back to 2-1, Norway closed out the match with a resounding 4-1 victory. Sølbakken presented a team with tactical clarity and clinical finishing.

Haaland has 57 goals in 51 international appearances for Norway, making him the all-time top scorer for his national team with a notable margin. He reached 50 international goals in just 46 matches, a rate that only five players in the history of soccer have matched or surpassed. In the Premier League, he finished the season as top scorer with 27 goals for Manchester City.

The creative engine of the Norwegian team is Ødegaard, the Arsenal captain. Pre-tournament doubts about his physical condition, at least five different injuries during the club season, were put to rest after his solid performance against Iraq. When fully fit, Norway possesses a tactical dimension that few rivals can match in this tournament.

We can expect more from Ødegaard in this second match, after he went relatively unnoticed in the first World Cup match.

Senegal: Team News & Predicted Lineups

For their part, Senegal had a strong performance on the first matchday, but they were still unable to match the French, who arrived at the World Cup in formidable form.

Ibrahim Mbaye scored Senegal’s only goal from the bench and could challenge Iliman Ndiaye for a starting spot, who did not feature in the first match due to fitness concerns.

Despite the result, Senegal’s attack has enough quality to cause damage. Nicolas Jackson (Bayern Munich, 34 caps, eight goals) is a center forward capable of holding his own in any setting. Sadio Mané, with 55 goals in 129 international appearances, remains one of the offensive references of this tournament, alongside Ismaïla Sarr and Lamine Camara, who offer additional attacking options.

Norway predicted XI vs. Senegal: Nyland; Ryerson, Ajer, Heggem, Møller Wolfe; Bobb, Berge, degaard, Nusa; Haaland, Sørloth.

Senegal predicted XI vs. Norway: Mendy; Diatta, Koulibaly, Niakhaté, Diouf; P. Gueye, I. Gueye, Camara; I. Ndiaye, Jackson, Mané.

Match prediction: Norway 2-2 Senegal.