Norway opened the World Cup convincingly: Haaland brought down Iraq in Foxborough with two goals
Norway defeated Iraq 4:1 in the first round of Group I of the 2026 World Cup at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, which during the tournament is listed in FIFA's official communication as Boston Stadium. The match was played on June 16, 2026, and the Norwegian national team already in its first appearance sent a clear message to the group that also includes France and Senegal. According to FIFA's match report, Erling Haaland scored two goals, Leo Østigård added the third, and the final Norwegian goal came after an own goal in stoppage time. Iraq scored its only goal through Aymen Hussein, which briefly restored balance to the score and showed that the final margin does not say everything about the periods of play in which Graham Arnold's team had clear attacking moments. Still, Norway was more efficient, physically stronger in key duels and more concrete in the final third, so the 4:1 result reflects its attacking quality and better management of the decisive moments of the match.
Haaland opened Norway's return to the biggest stage
Norway returned to the world showcase after 28 years of waiting, and the opener against Iraq gave it exactly what it needed: early confirmation that its attacking power can also be transferred to the tournament stage. According to a Reuters report carried by Deccan Herald, Haaland scored the first goal in the 29th minute, when at the far post he used a low ball from David Møller Wolfe. That goal came after a period in which Norway gradually raised the tempo, kept possession and searched for a way to stretch the Iraqi defence across the width. Iraq did not fall apart after conceding; on the contrary, in the closing stages of the first half it found room for a response and an equaliser. Aymen Hussein headed in after a cross from Amir Al-Ammari, according to AS's text commentary and match reports, so the score again opened the question of how long the Norwegian defence would withstand the pressure.
The Norwegian answer was quick and painful for Iraq. Haaland scored a second goal even before the break, taking advantage of uncertainty in Iraq's back line and in goalkeeper Jalal Hassan's reaction. According to The Guardian's match reports, it was a moment that significantly changed the psychological framework of the duel because Iraq, after a deserved equaliser, almost immediately lost what it had fought so hard to win. In tournament football, such details often decide more than the general impression, and Norway showed that it possesses forwards capable of punishing even the smallest hesitation. Haaland's second goal gave Ståle Solbakken's team a calmer entry into the second half, while Iraq had to enter the second period with a plan that simultaneously required risk and discipline.
Iraq showed resistance, but did not maintain balance
Iraq arrived in Foxborough as a national team returning to the World Cup for the first time since 1986, which gave the match additional emotional and sporting weight. FIFA states in the profile of the Iraqi national team that this is Iraq's second appearance at the World Cup finals, and that context explains how much the match against Norway meant for the team and the fans. Graham Arnold, the coach who had already led Australia at the 2022 World Cup, set up the team with a clear idea of closing the central corridors and looking for exits through wide areas and set pieces. That plan worked in certain parts of the first half, especially when Iraq managed to press Norway's build-up and force the opponent into quicker decisions. Still, every lost ball in the zone in front of its own penalty area carried a high risk because in transition the Norwegians had Haaland, Alexander Sørloth, Antonio Nusa and Martin Ødegaard.
According to ESPN statistics, Norway had 61.3 percent possession, while Iraq remained at 38.7 percent. The same source states that Norway had five shots on target and Iraq one, although the total number of attempts was relatively close, 12 to 11 in Norway's favour. Those figures confirm the basic difference in the match: Iraq reached situations and created pressure, but Norway converted its arrivals into dangerous shots and goals much better. The Norwegians also had an advantage in corners, 5:2, which was especially evident with the third goal. Østigård increased the lead to 3:1 with a header after a set piece, which practically sent the match in a direction that allowed Norway to close the encounter more calmly.
Set piece and finish confirmed Norway's depth
The third goal was important because it came in a phase in which Iraq could still believe that one good attack would return the match to uncertainty. Norway had the lead by then, but not complete control over all aspects of the game, because the Iraqi national team occasionally found space between Norway's lines. Østigård's goal from a set piece showed an additional dimension of Solbakken's team: apart from the direct threat through Haaland and quick attacking combinations, Norway has height and strength in the penalty area. Such variety is especially valuable in a group in which details will probably decide the ranking behind or alongside France. The final goal, recorded as an own goal in stoppage time according to match reports, concluded an evening in which Norway punished all Iraqi mistakes convincingly on the scoreboard.
Iraq's problem was not only that it conceded four goals, but also the way in which certain mistakes came after periods of good play. Aymen Hussein's equaliser showed that the team has a clear attacking reference point and the ability to attack the space between centre-backs, but the second Norwegian goal immediately cancelled part of the positive effect. In the continuation, Iraq had to open more space behind its full-backs, which suited Norway and its physically powerful runners in attack. Such a development of a match is often the most difficult for national teams returning to the big stage because it forces them to balance between emotional impulse and tactical coolness. Iraq showed character, but did not maintain concentration long enough to make the match uncertain on the scoreboard until the final minutes.
Group I immediately gained clearer outlines
Group I is one of the more interesting sections of the first part of the tournament because it brings together France, Senegal, Norway and Iraq. FIFA highlighted in the group preview that France, two-time world champion and finalist of the last two editions, would play against Senegal, Iraq and Norway, and from the beginning the schedule carried the possibility that the battle for progression could become complicated already after the first round. According to the result listed by ESPN, France beat Senegal 3:1 in the group's other match, so after the opening round Norway and France reached three points each. Because of its 4:1 victory, Norway achieved a better goal difference than France after the first appearance, although such an early ranking should be treated with caution because the remaining two group matches still have to be played. For Iraq, the defeat means that the matches against France and Senegal will carry significantly greater pressure, especially if it wants to remain in contention for one of the places that lead onward.
The format of the 2026 World Cup further changes the calculation because the tournament is played with 48 national teams and 104 matches in 16 cities in the United States of America, Canada and Mexico, as FIFA states in the official competition schedule. In such a system, every first-round victory has great value, but a defeat does not automatically have to mean the end of hopes of progressing. Norway, with three points and a positive goal difference of three goals, gained room for a more tactically flexible approach in the continuation of the group. Iraq, on the other hand, now has to find a way to turn the attacking output from parts of the match into longer periods of control and more concrete shots. In a group with France and Senegal, make-up exams will not be simple, but the energy shown against Norway gives Arnold's team at least a foundation for further adjustments.
Boston Stadium as an important stage of the tournament
The match was played at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, in the state of Massachusetts, and the town of Foxborough states on its official pages that the stadium is renamed Boston Stadium during the World Cup for the purposes of the tournament. The same local source points out that World Cup matches will bring a significant impact on the community, including increased traffic, changes in usual movement patterns and a larger number of visitors in the stadium area. FIFA states that Boston Stadium hosts seven matches as part of the 2026 World Cup, which includes group matches and later stages of the competition. Foxborough thus already in the first week of the tournament received a match with a major sporting narrative: the return of two national teams after long absences and Haaland's first appearance on the world stage. Such matches are often remembered not only for the result, but also for how they define the initial tone of the group.
For Norway, the setting was an opportunity to confirm a generation that had long carried expectations, but without appearing at the biggest tournament. UEFA states in the profile of the Norwegian national team that Norway secured the World Cup after a perfect qualifying campaign, and Haaland was one of the team's central figures in qualifying. Alongside him, Ødegaard represents the creative pillar, while players such as Nusa, Sørloth and Østigård bring depth in different areas of the pitch. The victory over Iraq showed that this structure can quickly be turned into a result even when the performance is not completely without mistakes. Norway's defence had several vulnerable moments, but the attack was powerful enough to overshadow them and direct the outcome.
Norway's message and Iraq's challenge
The most important message of Norway's victory is not only in the size of the result, but in the impression that the team has several ways to reach a goal. The first goal came from a constructed move and a cross from the left side, the second from pressure on a mistake, the third from a set piece, and the fourth from final pressure in the penalty area. Such variety will be especially important against opponents who may leave Norway less space or close down Haaland better. Solbakken's team must at the same time remain cautious because Iraq showed that pressure can also be created against Norway if the space between the lines is attacked quickly enough. The 4:1 victory gives confidence, but it does not remove questions about defensive stability that will be even more visible against France or Senegal.
Iraq leaves Foxborough with a difficult result, but not without elements on which it can build the continuation of the tournament. Hussein's goal was Iraq's first moment of major celebration at the World Cup after four decades of absence, and the way the team reacted after Norway's lead showed that it was not satisfied with mere participation. The problem is that the opponents in the group are extremely strong, and every mistake at this level immediately changes the match. Arnold will have to find a balance between maintaining a solid block and a greater number of arrivals into the final third, because one shot on target, according to ESPN's statistics, can hardly be enough for points. After the first round, Norway fulfilled its objective and made a big step towards the fight for progression, while Iraq must already in its next appearance show that the energy from good periods can be turned into a more stable result.
Sources:
- FIFA – official match report for Iraq - Norway and confirmation of goalscorers (link)
- FIFA Match Centre – official data on the match, competition, date and stadium (link)
- FIFA – overview of Group I of the 2026 World Cup and schedule context (link)
- ESPN – statistics for the Iraq - Norway match and final result (link)
- Reuters / Deccan Herald – report on Haaland's performance, goals and course of the match (link)
- The Guardian – live text commentary and report on the key moments of the match (link)
- UEFA – Norway profile at the 2026 World Cup, history and qualifying context (link)
- Town of Foxborough – official information on World Cup matches and the Boston Stadium name (link)