Erling Haaland has already put his stamp on the World Cup with 2 goals against Iraq. Ibrahim Mbaye arrives with a record of his own after becoming the youngest African scorer at a World Cup, aged 18 years and 143 days. Norway and Senegal meet in Norway vs Senegal on Tuesday at MetLife Stadium, and the forward duel is the main reason this one stands out.

Haaland's opening statement

Haaland did not just score twice against Iraq, he did it in a performance that was a little unusual even by his standards. He took 5 shots and attempted 4 successful passes, which tells you exactly where Norway wanted the game to flow. He also earned an 8.2 rating, a tidy sign that the impact went beyond the goals themselves.

Norway beat Iraq 4-1, so the opening-night evidence is not hard to read. The attack looked ready, and Haaland looked central to it.

Mbaye's record and Senegal's attacking options

Sports Mole said Ibrahim Mbaye has put his hand up for a start after that record-breaking goal, and it is easy to see why. Senegal may have lost 3-1 to France, but Mbaye still logged a goal and a 7.3 rating in a display that gave the team something immediate to build on.

The wider picture is more mixed. Senegal have conceded three goals in two of their last three games, including the loss to France and a pre-World Cup friendly against the USA, so this is not a back line that can afford another loose night. Nicolas Jackson, Ismaïla Sarr and S. Mane give them enough attacking talent to threaten Norway, but the defensive side has to hold up if they want to take anything from this match.

The workload argument around Mbaye's selection is fair enough, yet the record he has already set gives Senegal a genuine reason to keep him in the frame. Norway's response will likely be shaped by Martin Ødegaard's supply and the pace around Haaland, with Julian Ryerson and David Möller Wolfe also part of the wider setup.

This is a scheduled Group I meeting at MetLife Stadium on 2026-06-23, and the two names in front of it are the ones that define the preview.

Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →