Norway sealed their passage into the round of 32 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a 3-2 win over Senegal on Tuesday. Marcus Holmgren Pederson scored once while former Borussia Dortmund star Erling Haaland struck a second-half brace as the Nordic outfit made it two wins from two in Group I.
However, the game was overshadowed with an injury to Julian Ryerson, who went off after just 13 minutes into the kick-off in a worrying development for both Norway and Dortmund, who only recently had lost Nico Schlotterbeck to a long-term injury too.
During the hydration break, Ryerson was seen with a massive ice pack on his right thigh - not what Norway would have wanted to see from one of their key players less than halfway through the group stages.
Both Norway and Dortmund fans are now anxiously waiting for medical updates which could reveal if it's a serious issue. Ryerson's injury also comes just days before their vital group fixture against the mighty France as the sides battle it out for top spot in their group.
Ryerson was earmarked for big things at the World Cup with Norway after shining for Borussia Dortmund throughout the 2025-26 season with his imperious creative abilities. In fact, he finished as the club's top assist-maker with 18 in all competitions, including 15 in the Bundesliga which was the highest in the competition bar two.
But now an injury concern plunges his campaign into uncertainty. If he's sidelined for a lengthy period, Borussia Dortmund might also be forced to start the next season without him for a couple weeks (or months).
Former BVB star Erling Haaland off to a flying start
Playing in his first ever FIFA World Cup, former Borussia Dortmund ace Erling Haaland is off to a flyer after scoring in both of Norway's matches so far. He marked his debut game with a brace against Iraq before scoring twice more against Senegal to make it four for the campaign already and lay a strong claim for the competition's Golden Boot trophy too.
Ryerson's absence will obviously be a huge blow for Norway if the BVB creative machine is ruled out on Friday but as long as Haaland continues to bang in the goals, the Red, White and Blue would also be in with a chance. The winner of Group I could potentially have an easy draw against one of the third-placed teams from either Group C, D, F, G or H while the runners-up would face the side coming second in Group E, which is currently Ivory Coast.
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