Haaland Scores Brace as Norway Beat Iraq 4-1 in FIFA World Cup 2026 Opener

Erling Haaland marked his FIFA World Cup debut in style with a brilliant brace as Norway cruised to a 4-1 victory over Iraq in their Group I opener at Boston Stadium.

Haaland opened the scoring before Iraq responded through Aymen Hussein, who became only the second Iraqi player to score at a World Cup. Haaland restored Norway’s lead before halftime after capitalising on a defensive mix-up. Substitute Leo Østigård added a third with a powerful header shortly after coming on. Iraq’s hopes faded further when Hussein inadvertently scored an own goal late in the game.

The emphatic win sends Norway to the top of Group I and gives their World Cup campaign the perfect start.