Haaland Scores Twice as Norway Cruise Past Iraq in World Cup Opener
By Luckybets Media Team
Erling Haaland announced his arrival on the FIFA World Cup stage in style, scoring twice as Norway opened their 2026 World Cup campaign with an emphatic 4-1 victory over Iraq at Gillette Stadium.
The Manchester City striker, making his long-awaited World Cup debut, played a decisive role in Norway’s victory as the Scandinavian side secured all three points in their opening Group match.
Haaland’s first World Cup goal arrived in the 29th minute when he stretched to turn home a dangerous cross from David Moller Wolfe. The finish highlighted the striker’s trademark movement inside the box, peeling away from his marker before arriving at the perfect moment to convert from close range.
Iraq responded positively and managed to level matters through Aymen Hussein, who punished a lapse in the Norwegian defence to make it 1-1.However, Haaland was soon back at the centre of the action. A costly mistake by the Iraqi goalkeeper saw an attempted clearance strike the Norwegian forward before rebounding into the net, handing Norway a 2-1 lead before the break and giving Haaland his second goal of the evening.
The match also produced one of the tournament’s most unusual moments during halftime when a sprinkler system malfunctioned near the edge of the penalty area. Water suddenly burst from the pitch, forcing stadium staff to rush onto the field to repair the problem before the second half could begin.
Grounds crews worked quickly to remove excess water and restore the playing surface before play resumed.Despite Iraq’s efforts to fight their way back into the contest, Norway gradually took control after the restart.
Captain Martin Odegaard continued to dictate play from midfield, while Haaland remained a constant threat whenever Norway moved forward.The third goal arrived when defender Leo Ostigard rose highest to power home an Odegaard corner, extending Norway’s advantage and putting them firmly in control.Norway completed the scoring in unfortunate circumstances for Iraq when Aymen Hussein turned the ball into his own net while attempting to deal with another dangerous Norwegian attack.
Although Haaland narrowly missed out on a hat-trick, his influence was again evident in the build-up to the final goal.The 25-year-old came close to completing his treble on several occasions during the closing stages but was denied by goalkeeper Jalal Hassan, leaving him to settle for two goals on an otherwise memorable night.
The victory places Norway in a strong position early in the group stage and underlines their growing ambitions on the international stage. For Haaland, the performance was another reminder of his extraordinary goalscoring ability, as he immediately made his mark on football’s biggest tournament.While Miroslav Klose remains the last player to score a hat-trick on his World Cup debut, Haaland’s brace ensures he begins the tournament among the early contenders for the Golden Boot.
Norway’s fans also added colour to the occasion with their unique “ro” celebration, a coordinated rowing chant that echoed around Gillette Stadium throughout the match.
For Iraq, the defeat represents a difficult start to their World Cup journey, but they will take encouragement from their first-half competitiveness and periods of attacking threat.For Norway, meanwhile, it was the perfect opening night — three points, four goals, and a dream World Cup debut from their superstar striker.
