Erling Haaland became Norway’s highest-ever World Cup goalscorer with a superb brace that guided his team to a 3-2 triumph over Senegal, booking their place in the round of 32 and leaving the African side with a mountain to climb in their final Group I fixture.

Substitute Morgan Pedersen opened the scoring for the Scandinavians late in the first half after Haaland had struck the post following a dispossession of Edouard Mendy. However, the Manchester City striker made no mistake moments after the restart, firing into the top right corner to double Norway’s advantage.

Ismaila Sarr pulled one back for Senegal, but Haaland soon restored Norway’s two-goal lead with his fourth goal of the tournament. Although Sarr struck again deep into stoppage time, it proved insufficient to improve Senegal’s hopes of progressing, even if they finish third in the group.

The contest at the MetLife Stadium began cautiously, with Julian Ryeson forced off inside ten minutes clutching his hamstring. Martin Odegaard then drifted into the penalty area, attempting a first-time effort that sailed over the bar.

Senegal’s former Chelsea forward showed impressive control to bring down a high ball but saw his shot blocked, before curling another attempt from 25 yards narrowly wide. Mendy was soon called into action, rushing off his line to smother Odegaard’s powerful half-volley after Haaland’s cushioned header set him up.

Norway’s breakthrough came through Ryeson’s replacement Pedersen, capitalising on Kalidou Koulibaly’s failed interception of Odegaard’s through ball. The 25-year-old right-back surged into the box unchallenged, and his effort squirmed under Mendy for just the sixth goal of his professional career.

Frustrated at limited chances, Haaland almost made history when Mendy’s miscontrol left him with an open goal, but his side-footed effort ricocheted off the post. He made amends three minutes into the second half, racing onto Odegaard’s incisive pass and blasting into the top corner beyond Mendy.

Senegal responded swiftly, switching play from defence to find Sadio Mané in space. The forward worked the ball centrally to Sarr, who used his strength to beat the last defender and dinked his shot over Ørjan Nyland to make it 2-1.

Any hopes of a comeback were soon dashed by Haaland once again. When Senegal failed to clear Pedersen’s cross, Patrick Berg pounced on the loose ball, and Haaland instinctively guided the follow-up beyond Mendy to restore Norway’s two-goal cushion and all but confirm their place in the next round.

With that brace, Haaland moved two clear of former record-holder Kjetil Rekdal’s tally of two World Cup goals from 1994 and 1998, taking his international total to 59.

Senegal kept pressing late on, with a dangerous cross from the left finding Jackson, who set up Sarr to curl home his second of the match past Nyland, creating a tense finale. Norway, however, held firm through nine minutes of stoppage time to seal a hard-earned victory and reaffirm their credentials as World Cup dark horses.

The result means Norway’s upcoming clash with France on Thursday will be a dead rubber, with both sides already through to the knockout stage. Senegal, meanwhile, must secure a win against Iraq to keep their World Cup hopes alive.