Erling Haaland starred with a clinical brace as Norway marked their return to the global stage with a dominant 4-1 victory over Iraq in a FIFA World Cup 2026 clash at the Boston stadium on Wednesday morning. The high-stakes match ended long droughts for both nations, with Norway making their first World Cup appearance in 28 years, while Iraq returned after a 40-year absence.
The breakthrough came in the 29th minute when Haaland capitalized on a brilliant pass from Antonio Nusa to fire Norway into a 1-0 lead. Iraq responded defiantly just ten minutes later when star striker Aymen Hussein powered home a superb header to level the score at 1-1. However, Iraq's joy was short-lived; a defensive blunder in the 43rd minute allowed Haaland to strike again, restoring Norway's lead just before halftime.
Norway extended their dominance in the second half. In the 76th minute, substitute Leo Østigård made an instant impact by scoring a fine header to put Norway up 3-1. A bruising morning for Iraq was compounded in the dying minutes when Aymen Hussein accidentally turned the ball into his own net, sealing a comfortable 4-1 win for the Scandinavians.
With this commanding victory, Norway secures three vital points as they prepare to face Senegal in their next encounter on June 26. Meanwhile, a bruised Iraqi side must quickly regroup as they brace themselves to face a formidable France.
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