Kathmandu, June 17: Young striker Erling Braut Haaland scored twice as Norway secured an emphatic victory in their opening match of the FIFA World Cup 2026. Norway defeated Iraq 4-1 on Wednesday morning to kick off their campaign in impressive fashion.
Playing at Boston Stadium, Haaland netted a brace, while Leo Østigård added another goal for Norway. The Scandinavians also benefited from a late own goal, while Iraq’s lone strike came from Ayman Hussein.
Making his FIFA World Cup debut, Haaland opened the scoring in the 29th minute to hand Norway an early lead. Iraq responded ten minutes later when Hussein found the back of the net to level the match at 1-1.
However, Haaland restored Norway’s advantage just three minutes later, scoring his second goal of the game to give his side a 2-1 lead heading into halftime.
Norway extended their lead in the 76th minute when captain Martin Ødegaard delivered a corner that was headed home by Østigård, making it 3-1.
The result was sealed deep into stoppage time when Hussein inadvertently turned the ball into his own net in the 96th minute, gifting Norway a fourth goal and completing a comprehensive 4-1 victory.
The win sees Norway collect three points and make a strong start in Group I of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
