World Cup 2026: Haaland on fire as Norway beat Iraq and move top of Group I ahead of France
Twenty-eight years after their last World Cup appearance, Norway made a winning start by beating Iraq 4-1 on Tuesday night. Didier Deschamps and his staff will have studied this one closely, with both sides due to face Les Bleus in Group I. And the message came through quickly: Erling Haaland really is the leader of this Norway side. The Manchester City striker struck twice on his World Cup debut. First, he arrived at the back post to meet a David Wolfe cross in the 29th minute, then he profited from a poor clearance by Iraq keeper Jalal Hassan after a risky back-pass to make it 2-0 in the 43rd.
Between those two goals, Iraq had levelled and shown plenty of bite. Ali Jasim found Al Ammari, whose cross picked out Aymen Hussein, and he rose above the Norway defence to head home in the 39th minute. The last team to qualify for this tournament might even have gone in ahead at the break, with Al Hamadi losing a one-on-one to Ajer, before Akan Hashem blazed a volley just over in first-half stoppage time. Those chances underlined the real attacking threat in an Iraq side that pressed high, worked hard and refused to fold.
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Iraq hung on, but Norway pulled away and France have been warned
Iraq’s resistance finally broke after the interval. Ostigard headed in Norway’s third from Martin Odegaard’s corner in the 76th minute, before Aymen Hussein put through his own net in stoppage time to make the scoreline harsher than it had looked for long spells (90th+6). Norway now sit top of Group I with three points, ahead of France, who beat Senegal on the same night.
For Les Bleus, there are real lessons here. Norway have a Haaland who can decide a game from the first whistle, but Iraq showed they won’t be easy to bully. Disciplined, stubborn and dangerous when they move the ball well, the Iraqis will face France in six days with the same intent. Deschamps has been put on notice.
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