Haaland begins World Cup campaign in style
Manchester City top striker Erling Haaland was the star of the show at the Boston Stadium as Norway hammered Iraq 4-1 to secure all three points on the team’s return to the World Cup stage after a 28-year absence.
The opening Group I encounter came alive in the 29th minute when Haaland scored the opening goal of the game when he excellently connected a well-timed from David Møller Wolfe.
Iraq were then forced to seek an equaliser after conceding the first goal of the game and the team’s effort yielded result when Aymen Hussein scored for Iraq with a powerful header, marking his country’s second-ever World Cup goal.
Haaland struck again in the 43rd minute of the game to make it 2-1 when he capitalized on a defensive misunderstanding to restore Norway’s lead before the first half break.
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In the second half, Leo Østigård who came on as a substitute and scored in the 76th minute of the game to make it 3-1 after heading home a well-weighted corner from Arsenal midfielder Martin Ødegaard.
Norway reduced the tempo of their game thereafter but were rewarded with another goal in the 96th minute when a late deflection from an Iraqi player identified as Hussein led to an own goal, finishing the match 4-1.
Norway’s next match at the ongoing 2026 World Cup is against Senegal on June 22, while Iraq’s next match is against France on June 22.
