Haaland marks his World Cup debut with a brace as Norway sink Iraq
Erling Haaland scored twice on his World Cup debut as Norway beat Iraq 4-1 in their first appearance at the finals since 1998.
Jun 17, 2026
Twenty-eight years of waiting, and Erling Haaland needed barely half an hour to make Norway’s return to the World Cup feel worth it. The Manchester City striker scored twice on his tournament debut as Norway opened their Group I campaign with a 4-1 win over Iraq at Boston Stadium in Foxborough, the kind of statement start that Stale Solbakken’s side have been building towards for years.
Norway had not appeared at a World Cup since 1998. For a generation of supporters who grew up watching qualification campaigns end in near misses, the sight of Haaland leading the line on the game’s biggest stage carried its own weight. He did not let it pass quietly.
Haaland settles the nerves
The opening goal arrived in the 29th minute and looked almost too simple. David Møller Wolfe crossed from the left into the six-yard box, where Haaland had timed his run to perfection and tapped home from close range. It was the finish of a player who has made a career out of being in exactly the right place.
Iraq, though, refused to fold. Ten minutes later Aymen Hussein rose above the Norwegian defence to thump a header past Orjan Nyland, hauling the underdogs level and sending their travelling supporters into raptures. It was Iraq’s first goal at a World Cup in 40 years, a reminder that this was their first appearance at the finals since 1986.
The equaliser lasted four minutes. Haaland sniffed out a loose backpass from Zaid Tahseen, nipped in ahead of goalkeeper Jalal Hassan and rolled the ball into an empty net to restore Norway’s lead just before the interval. The chase was pure opportunism, the sort of pressing instinct that punishes a moment of hesitation.
Norway pull clear after the break
The second half belonged to Norway. Leo Ostigard climbed highest to meet a Martin Odegaard corner in the 76th minute, heading firmly past Hassan to make it 3-1 and ease any lingering tension. Hussein then endured the cruellest end to an otherwise heroic night, turning a dangerous ball into his own net deep in stoppage time to complete the 4-1 scoreline.
For Haaland, the numbers told the story of a striker operating at his peak. He managed just 20 touches across the whole match yet still walked away with two goals, taking his tally to 57 in 51 senior appearances for Norway. He has now scored in 11 competitive internationals in a row, a run stretching back to November 2024.
Group I takes shape
The win lifts Norway to the top of Group I, ahead of France on goal difference after Didier Deschamps’s side beat Senegal 3-1 in the group’s other opening fixture. Solbakken’s side now turn their attention to Senegal next, while Iraq face the considerable task of regrouping against France.
There is a long way to go, and one result does not erase the gap in pedigree between Norway and the established giants. But for a country back among football’s elite after nearly three decades away, and with the most feared striker in world football already off the mark, it was the kind of opening night they had spent 28 years imagining.