In front of a packed New York/New Jersey Stadium, with boisterous Norwegian fans rowing in unison like a Viking ship to fire up their side, it was Senegal who made the early noise. Martin Ødegaard delivered a dangerous free kick into the box, but Edouard Mendy reacted brilliantly, producing a sharp kick save to deny Norway a clear-cut chance.
Senegal had the early momentum, but Norway gradually began to press higher, forcing the Lions of Teranga into mistakes. Marcus Pedersen, who came on as a substitute for the injured Julian Ryerson, capitalized on one of them, pouncing on a poor backpass from Kalidou Koulibaly before finishing past a stranded Mendy to give Norway a 1-0 lead in the 43rd minute.
After the break, Norway piled on the misery for Pape Thiaw's side. Haaland received a perfect through ball from Ødegaard and finished cleanly past Mendy in the 47th minute to double the lead. Senegal, though, offered a glimmer of hope six minutes later. They caught Norway on the counterattack, and after a clever backheel flick from Sadio Mane, Ismaila Sarr surged inside to cut the deficit to 2-1.
The celebrations were short-lived, especially with the Terminator lurking. Once again, Senegal failed to clear their lines in the box, and Haaland pounced. The towering 6-foot-4 striker met a low cross and tapped home from close range to restore Norway's two-goal cushion. From there, Norway appeared to be on cruise control, but Sarr refused to relent.
The winger capitalized on a defensive mistake from the opposition to cut the score to 3-2 two minutes into a nine-minute extra time. The finish revitalized a Senegal side that has been marredby controversy since the World Cup started.
According to Opta Sports, Haaland is just the sixth player in World Cup history to score multiple goals in each of his first two outings at the tournament, joining a list that includes Harry Kane in 2018 and Just Fontaine in 1958.
Norway, playing in their first World Cup since 1998, have now advanced to the knockout rounds. But they still have plenty to play for. They are level on points with France and sit second in Group I only on goal difference, with the two sides set to face off Friday with top spot on the line.