Erling Haaland made an immediate impact on his World Cup debut, scoring two goals to lead Norway to a 4-1 win over Iraq — the match marked Norway’s return to the global stage for the first time in 28 years, according to Al Jazeera.

Haaland’s Immediate Impact

Haaland, one of soccer’s most lethal strikers, opened the scoring in the 29th minute after a pass from David Møller Wolfe found him at the right corner of the goal. Haaland drove the ball into the top of the net with a one-time finish, according to AOL.com. Iraqi goaltender Jalal Hassan had no chance on the goal.

Just minutes later, Iraq equalized with a header from Aymen Hussein. But Haaland quickly responded by pouncing on a defensive mistake. After a lazy pass to Hassan, Haaland sprinted to the ball and put it into the net before the goalkeeper could react, according to AOL.com.

Group I Standings and Schedule

With the win, Norway moved to the top of Group I on goal differential, tying with France on three points after the French team defeated Senegal 3-1 earlier in the day, according to Al Jazeera. Norway will face Senegal next on June 22, followed by a match against France on June 26 at Gillette Stadium, where France had previously defeated Brazil 2-1 in March, according to RotoWire.

Group I is considered one of the most competitive in the 2026 World Cup, featuring reigning African Cup of Nations champions Senegal, a deep French squad, and the long-awaited return of Iraq, who last played in the tournament in 1986, according to RotoWire. Iraq secured their spot as the final qualifier after a 21-match campaign spanning 867 days, according to Al Jazeera. Hussein, who scored the decisive goal in the play-off win over Bolivia, was also held for hours by U.S. immigration officials before the tournament.

Norway’s Return and Ambitions

Norway last appeared in the World Cup in 1998, when coach Stale Solbakken was a member of the squad that famously beat Brazil in the group stage before exiting in the last 16. He also played in Euro 2000, according to Al Jazeera. Solbakken predicted Haaland would make a “very big impact” at his first major finals, and the Manchester City star lived up to the expectations.

Antonio Nusa’s playmaking and David Møller Wolfe’s overlapping runs were key in setting up Haaland’s first goal. Norway dominated the match after the initial 15 minutes and controlled possession throughout. The decisive third goal came in the 76th minute when substitute Leo Østigard headed in a corner kick, effectively sealing the victory. A late own goal from Hussein pushed the score to 4-1.

With a golden generation of players led by Haaland and Arsenal midfielder Martin Odegaard, Norway is hoping to make a deep run in North America. Their performance against Iraq was a strong start in their long-awaited return to the World Cup stage.