Erling Haaland scored twice as Norway beat Senegal 3-2 and secured a place in the last 32 of the 2026 World Cup. The Manchester City striker now has four goals at the tournament, keeping him firmly in the Golden Boot conversation before Norway’s final Group I meeting with France.
For City, Haaland’s form is the obvious headline. The club will always watch tournament workload carefully, but a confident, decisive Haaland is still one of the clearest positives any summer can deliver.
Haaland form gives City a summer boost
Manchester City reported that Haaland’s double helped Norway progress, while Rayan Cherki and Rayan Ait-Nouri also enjoyed wins with France and Algeria respectively, according to the club’s World Cup round-up.
The next layer is the France test. Haaland will face a stronger opponent and a bigger stage, giving City fans a sharper read on his rhythm before the new club season. Norway are already through, but Haaland has made sure their final group game still carries major City interest. For a City side preparing for another campaign of heavy expectation, seeing their No.9 decisive rather than simply involved is the detail that matters most. The sharper he looks now, the more reassuring City’s attacking picture feels. It keeps the summer focus on performance, not just transfer-market noise.
