Norway vs Senegal – Match preview and team news | OneFootball

Norway and Senegal go head-to-head at the New York Stadium on Tuesday in a Round 2 Group I encounter.

Norway is sitting at the top of the table and will want to confirm their qualification to the Round of 32 while Senegal will look to bounce back from their opening defeat against France.

Norway vs Senegal – Match preview and team news

Norway team news

Norway enters their 2026 FIFA World Cup Group I match with a fully fit squad and high team morale.

Manager Ståle Solbakken has no fresh injury concerns or player suspensions following his team’s dominant 4–1 victory over Iraq.

Because of this strong performance, the coaching staff is highly likely to name an unchanged starting lineup.

Star striker Erling Haaland is in peak form after netting two goals in the opening match, and he will continue to lead the frontline alongside Alexander Sørloth.

Arsenal’s Martin Ødegaard will captain the side from his familiar midfield role to control the game’s tempo.

In defense, Kristoffer Ajer and Torbjørn Heggem are expected to remain the starting center-back pairing.

This keeps defender Leo Østigård on the bench despite his late goal in the previous game. The team looks stable, healthy, and ready.

Senegal team news

Senegal also boasts a completely healthy roster for this crucial match, but the team faces major distractions off the pitch.

Head coach Pape Thiaw reported zero physical injuries after their tough 3–1 opening loss to France.

However, internal drama has troubled the squad, including a federation dispute over unpaid coach wages and a visa issue that kept the team chef from traveling to the United States.

Despite these heavy distractions, the players remain focused on securing their first tournament points. Sadio Mané and Ismaïla Sarr will provide speed on the wings, while Nicolas Jackson is set to spearhead the attack.

In midfield, veteran stars Pape Gueye and Idrissa Gana Gueye will anchor the center. They will look to feed young Sunderland talent Habib Diarra, who may start in the creative playmaker role to spark the offense.

Form

Norway

Norway is in excellent shape after losing just once over the last two years. They absolute smashed World Cup qualification, scoring an incredible 37 goals in eight matches. They carried that hot streak into the tournament opener, comfortably beating Iraq 4–1 thanks to an Erling Haaland brace. Though they previously had mixed friendly results against Switzerland and the Netherlands, they now look very confident and sharp.

Senegal

Senegal faces an uphill battle despite strong performances earlier in the year. They started 2026 by reaching the Africa Cup of Nations final and looked good winning warm-up friendlies against Peru and Gambia. However, their form has turned shaky. They lost to the USA before suffering a tough 3–1 defeat to France in their World Cup opener, exposing defensive gaps under pressure.

Predicted lineups

Norway: Nyland; Ryerson, Heggem, Ajer, Wolfe; Odegaard, Berge, Aursnes; Sorloth, Haaland, Nusa

Senegal: Mendy; Diatta, Koulibaly, Niakhate, Diouf; Diarra, I. Gueye, P. Gueye; Sarr, Jackson, Mane

How to watch Norway vs Senegal?

You can watch the Norway vs Senegal World Cup match live on ITV1 or stream it for free on ITVX in the UK.

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