Haaland brace powers Norway past Iraq on long-awaited World Cup return

Erling HaalandPlayer·Erling Haaland waits 28 years for NorwayTeam·Norway to return to a World Cup, then needs less than half an hour to leave his mark on it.

On a night weighted with history and expectation, NorwayTeam·Norway open their 2026 World Cup campaign with a commanding 4–1 victory over IraqTeam·Iraq, propelled by a first‑half brace from Erling HaalandPlayer·Erling Haaland in his long‑anticipated debut on this stage. The result places NorwayTeam·Norway in a strong early position in Group I, where France and Senegal are widely tipped to contest qualification.

NorwayTeam·Norway arrive at this tournament with momentum from a prolific qualifying campaign and the sense that this generation, led by Haaland and Martin Ødegaard, can translate club‑level brilliance into international impact. That promise quickly takes shape. NorwayTeam·Norway set up with an assertive, front‑foot structure, pushing their full‑backs high and using Ødegaard between the lines to dictate tempo against an IraqTeam·Iraq side prepared to defend deep and counter when possible.

The breakthrough comes on 29 minutes and fittingly falls to Haaland. Timing his run to the far post, he stretches to meet a drilled low cross from left‑back David Møller Wolfe, sliding the ball in from close range for his first World Cup goal. It is a finish that looks simple only because the movement is so sharp and the delivery so precise, a pattern NorwayTeam·Norway have honed through qualifying.

IraqTeam·Iraq respond impressively rather than retreat. A spell of pressure forces NorwayTeam·Norway into their own box, and the underdogs level through Aymen HusseinPlayer·Aymen Hussein, who climbs highest to guide a header past the goalkeeper. The equaliser briefly tests NorwayTeam·Norway’s composure and underlines that there is little margin for error in a group described as one of the toughest to escape.

The response is immediate and controlled. NorwayTeam·Norway tighten their press, stepping higher to disrupt IraqTeam·Iraq’s build‑up and win second balls in midfield. Ødegaard begins to find pockets of space, drawing defenders and opening channels for Haaland to attack. Before the interval, the Manchester City forward restores NorwayTeam·Norway’s lead with his second of the match, finishing clinically from inside the area after another incisive move that pulls IraqTeam·Iraq’s back line out of shape.

With a 2–1 advantage at half‑time, NorwayTeam·Norway manage the game with a blend of control and calculated aggression. The third goal, arriving from a well‑worked set piece, reflects their preparation as much as their quality. The fourth underlines their depth, with substitutes contributing to sustained pressure that eventually overwhelms an Iraqi defence forced to chase the game.

The final whistle confirms more than three points. This is NorwayTeam·Norway’s first World Cup match since France 1998, and the manner of the win suggests they are not content merely to make up the numbers. Their goal difference receives an early boost, a potentially crucial factor in a group that also contains the firepower of France and the physical, transition‑based threat of Senegal.

For Haaland, the night adds another chapter to a career defined by decisive debuts. He has already scored on his first appearances in the Champions League, Bundesliga and Premier League; now he does the same at the World Cup, with two goals to set NorwayTeam·Norway’s campaign in motion. His 16 goals in UEFA qualifying signalled how central he is to this team; this performance confirms that the World Cup stage does not alter that equation.

Tactically, NorwayTeam·Norway show a balance that will be tested more severely in their next fixtures. The high full‑backs and aggressive pressing create territory and chances against IraqTeam·Iraq, but will require careful refinement against France’s individual talent and Senegal’s pace in wide areas. The coaching staff also gain valuable data on how their side respond to setbacks, with the reaction to Hussein’s equaliser a positive sign of resilience.

For IraqTeam·Iraq, the 4–1 scoreline is harsh on periods of organised defending and the quality of their equaliser. Yet the match also exposes the difficulty of containing a physically dominant, tactically coherent attack for 90 minutes at this level. Their remaining group games become immediate tests of character as much as tactics.

NorwayTeam·Norway leave their opener with the essentials: a win, a statement from their star forward and a platform from which to challenge the established powers in Group I. The expectations around Haaland and Ødegaard only grow, but so too does the sense that NorwayTeam·Norway’s long wait for another World Cup appearance may yet lead to a campaign of genuine consequence.