Haaland leads Norway to 4-1 victory over Iraq in World Cup debut

Norway's Erling Haaland led his team to victory over Iraq 4-1 on Tuesday in their Group I match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Boston Stadium in the US.

After a tricky start for Norway, Manchester City’s Haaland, in his World Cup debut, turned David Moller Wolfe’s low cross into his first goal in the 29th minute.

The response did not take long. Iraqi striker Aymen Hussein rises high among a sea of red Norwegian shirts to Amir Al Ammari’s cross and plants a header into the bottom corner in the 39th minute, leveling the game.

After the game was leveled, Haaland once again went on the prowl to retake the lead. His moment came in the 43rd minute, when Iraqi goalkeeper Jalal Hassan waited too long to clear the ball away. Haaland swooped in on the unsuspecting goalie, turning Iraq's mistake into a golden opportunity to retake the lead.

Both sides continued probing each other in the second half. Norway capitalized on a corner kick in the 76th minute, with Leo Ostigard heading it into the net to deliver a two-goal lead over Iraq.

In the concluding moments of the game, Haaland met a cross from the right side to knock it back across the goal, forcing Iraq’s Hussein to score an own goal in the ensuing chaos in the 90+6th minute.

As a result of the game, Norway placed second in the group, trailing France, while Iraq sank to the bottom.