Erling Haaland made a decisive impact in his World Cup debut, scoring twice and assisting once to lead Norway to a 4-1 victory over Iraq in their Group I opener. The match marked Norway’s first appearance in the tournament since 1998, when they advanced to the round of 16—two years before Haaland was born.

Haaland’s goals, his 56th and 57th at the international level, highlighted his clinical finishing and awareness. His opening strike came in the 29th minute from a cross by David Moller Wolfe, which Haaland finished with a right-heel slide, sparking celebrations from the large contingent of Norwegian fans clad in red. Iraq responded quickly, leveling the score in the 38th minute through Aymen Hussein, who headed in a cross from Amir Alammari past Norwegian goalkeeper Orjan Nyland. Hussein’s goal was his 34th for Iraq, continuing his key role in the team, including the winning goal that secured Iraq’s World Cup qualification in April.

Haaland regained the lead for Norway just before halftime by capitalizing on a defensive error. He intercepted a back pass intended for Iraq’s goalkeeper Jalal Hassan, outpaced him to the ball, and slotted the rebound into the net using his shin. At halftime, Norway held a 2-1 advantage.

The match also featured a brief disruption when a sprinkler system malfunctioned near the goal area in front of which Haaland scored. A strong burst of water sprayed across the pitch for several seconds, forcing officials to shut down the entire sprinkler system to prevent further issues. The field was reported to be in good condition by the start of the second half.

Norway extended their lead in the 76th minute when Leo Ostigard scored off a corner delivered by Martin Odegaard. The final goal came late in the match when Kristian Thorstvedt converted another opportunity created by Haaland’s assist, sealing the 4-1 result.

For Iraq, this game marked only their second World Cup appearance since 1986. Despite the loss, the Iraqi squad showed resilience and energy boosted by their supporters, who were prominently positioned behind one of the goals.

Norway’s convincing victory sets a positive tone for their World Cup campaign, while Iraq will look to regroup as the group stage progresses.