•France crush Iraq 3-0

Norway defeated Senegal 3-2 in a thrilling Group I match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, on Tuesday, with Erling Haaland scoring a brace to secure all three points for the Scandinavian side.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the match was played at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, U.S.

The match started with both teams showing attacking intent.

Senegal enjoyed good spells of possession in the opening minutes, but Norway remained dangerous on the counter.

As the first half progressed, both sides created chances, but neither could find the breakthrough until late in the half.

Norway eventually took the lead in the 43rd minute through Marcus Pedersen. The defender made the most of an opportunity inside the box and calmly finished to put his side ahead.

The goal came at a crucial time and gave Norway a psychological advantage going into the halftime break.

Just three minutes into the second half, Norway doubled their lead through Erling Haaland.

Martin Odegaard delivered a well-timed pass that split the Senegalese defence, and Haaland showed great composure to slot the ball past the goalkeeper for 2-0.

Senegal responded strongly and pulled one back in the 53rd minute. Sadio Mane provided a clever assist for Ismaila Sarr, who finished confidently to reduce the deficit.

The goal lifted Senegal’s confidence and gave them renewed belief in the contest.

However, Norway quickly restored their two-goal advantage in the 58th minute.

Patrick Berg picked out Haaland with a precise pass, and the striker made no mistake as he fired home his second goal of the match to make it 3-1.

In spite of the setback, Senegal continued to press forward and created several opportunities. Their determination paid off deep into stoppage time when Sarr grabbed his second goal of the game in the 90+3rd minute.

The forward reacted quickly inside the penalty area to beat the goalkeeper and make it 3-2.

The late goal set up a nervous finish for Norway, but the Scandinavian side defended well in the closing moments to hold on for the victory.

Haaland’s brace proved decisive, while Sarr’s two goals highlighted Senegal’s fighting spirit.

The result gives Norway an important three points in their quest to reach the knockout stage, while Senegal will take positives from their resilience in spite ending the match on the losing side.

Elsewhere on the night, France produced a dominant display to defeat Iraq 3-0 in their Group I match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

NAN reports that the French side controlled most of the game and made their superiority count with two goals from Kylian Mbappe and one from Ousmane Dembele.

The match was interrupted by severe weather conditions, causing a lengthy delay before the second half resumed, but France remained focused and secured all three points.

France took the lead in the 14th minute when Michael Olise supplied a neat pass to Mbappe at the edge of the penalty area.

The French captain unleashed a powerful left-footed strike that beat the Iraqi goalkeeper and gave his side a deserved advantage.

Iraq struggled to cope with France’s pace and movement as the Europeans continued to create chances.

The first yellow card of the match went to Iraq’s Amir Al Ammari in the sixth minute after he brought down Mbappe during a dangerous run toward goal.

The booking reflected Iraq’s difficulties in containing the French attack.

After the weather delay, France resumed strongly and doubled their lead in the 54th minute.

Dembele capitalised on a defensive mistake by Iraq and selflessly squared the ball to Mbappe, who calmly finished into an empty net for his second goal of the night.

The goal further underlined Mbappe’s sharp finishing and ability to punish defensive errors.

France sealed the victory in the 66th minute through Dembele. Olise once again played a key role, collecting the ball in midfield before driving forward and delivering a well-timed pass to Dembele.

The winger controlled the ball brilliantly before firing a precise shot into the far corner to make it 3-0.

The goal crowned an impressive performance from both Dembele and Olise, who consistently troubled the Iraqi defence.

In spite of the trailing, Iraq showed determination and attempted to create opportunities on the counterattack.

However, the French defence remained organised and prevented the Asian side from finding a way back into the match.

The victory strengthened France’s position in Group I and highlighted the quality of their attacking players.

Mbappe’s brace once again demonstrated why he remains one of the tournament’s most dangerous forwards, while Olise’s two assists and Dembele’s goal and assist showed the depth of talent in the French squad. (Pieced together from NAN reports)

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