Norway crushes Iraq as Erling Haaland scores brace in World Cup debut

Erling Haaland picked the biggest stage imaginable to remind everyone that he is, in fact, ridiculously good at putting a ball in the back of a net. The Norwegian striker scored twice before halftime on June 16 as Norway dismantled Iraq 4-1 in their Group I opener at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

It was Norway’s first World Cup match since 1998. Twenty-eight years of waiting, and Haaland made sure the return was worth the extended intermission.

A first half that Iraq would rather forget

Haaland opened his World Cup account in the 29th minute, registering his first-ever goal in the tournament.

Iraq briefly found life when Aymen Hussein pulled one back in the 39th minute, trimming the deficit and injecting a sliver of hope into a match that was rapidly slipping away. That hope lasted approximately four minutes.

Haaland struck again in the 43rd minute to complete his brace before the halftime whistle. The first half ended 3-1.

Norway piles on in the second half

Leo Ostigard added a fourth in the 76th minute. An own goal from Iraq’s Aymen Hussein, the same player who had scored their lone bright moment, further compounded a miserable evening for the Iraqi side.

Haaland was awarded the FIFA Man of the Match. His two-goal performance was the centerpiece of a dominant Norwegian display. The 25-year-old has now tallied 22 goals in his last 11 appearances for Norway.

What this means for Group I and beyond

Norway’s emphatic victory puts them on three points, level with France atop Group I.

The 1998 World Cup in France was the last time Norway competed on this stage. That squad managed a famous victory over Brazil in the group stage before bowing out in the round of 16.

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