Senegal face a key matchup against Norway in Matchday 2 of the 2026 World Cup, where they need a victory if they still want to stay alive in the competition and climb the FIFA rankings. However, they will not have it easy facing Norway, who are led by Erling Haaland.
According to the updated official FIFA rankings, Senegal are inside the top 20, although they dropped two spots following a Matchday 1 defeat against France. They currently sit in 17th place with 1667.66 points, looking to recover positions by defeating Norway.
This is a pivotal game for Senegal as they seek to return to their previous ranking positions and keep their tournament hopes alive. The match has a confirmed venue in New York, where a sellout crowd is expected.
Norway’s progress reflected in the rankings
Under the direction of manager Stale Solbakken, Norway have significantly improved their international standing, climbing from the 88th position they occupied back in July 2017. However, the national team has yet to reach its highest historic ranking, which was the second-place spot achieved in October 1993.
Erling Haaland of Norway
Despite their impressive performance in the 2026 World Cup, Norway remain the second-lowest-ranked national team in the group. France currently occupy second place with 1887.11 points, while Senegal sit in 17th with 1667.66 points. Finally, Iraq continue to be the lowest-ranked national team in the group, occupying 60th place with 1426.53 points.
Senegal in search of victory
If Senegal win against Norway in their 2026 World Cup Group I clash, both teams will sit tied at 3 points, throwing the entire group wide open heading into the final matchday. That would force Norway to beat France if it’s assumed that Senegal beat Iraq and France beat Iraq in Matchday 2.
The tiebreaker in case all three of Norway, Senegal, and France end up with six points would be their head-to-head goal differential. That scenario would leave Matchday 3 as a must-watch game, as both sides will chase the top spot in the group.
