The Norwegian national football team “entered the 2026 World Cup with the right foot”, as in the premiere of the 9th group, they prevailed in Boston, Iraq, 4-1, but clearly more difficult than the final score indicates.

    In the first minutes of the match, the Iraqis did not close in defense and tried to play “on an equal footing” with the Norwegians, claiming balls and trying to reach the opponent’s area with claims. In fact, they made three shots towards the opponent’s goal, but without any significant result. For their part, the Scandinavians were in control of the match and it was a matter of time before they reached the goal, as the difference in quality between the two teams was obvious.

    In the 29th minute, the Norwegians combined for the first time in the match in a “rational” way and the ball reached Wolfe, who from a position outside the left made a parallel cross, with Erling Haaland making his famous move behind the two stoppers and with a projection opening the score for the Europeans. This was the Manchester City striker’s first goal in the final phase of the World Cup, as Norway returned to the great football celebration after 28 years (ed. their last participation was in 1998 in France), when Haaland had not been born (ed. July 21, 2000).   

    Despite the goal they conceded, the Iraqis did not “surrender” to the Norwegians’ superior quality and equalized in the 39th minute with a nail-biting header by Hussein from Alamari’s cross from the left. But four minutes later, Haaland made the most of Ali’s “criminal” misunderstanding with Hassan inside Iraq’s penalty area and gave Norway the lead again. In the second minute of injury time in the first half, Iraq missed a great chance to equalize, but Al Hammadi’s placekick sent the ball… painfully wide of Niland’s right post.

    In the second 45 minutes, the pace of the match “fell” with the Norwegians trying more to hold on to the lead than to extend the score and the Iraqis attempting to equalize, but failing.

    The match “ended” in the 76th minute, when, from a corner kick by Edegard, Estegard beat the Iraqi defenders in the air and headed in to make it 3-1, while the final score was scored by Hussein with an own goal in the seventh minute of injury time.

    Referee: Pierre Acho (Gabon)
    Yellows: Tahsin
    Reds:
    Lineups:

    IRAQ (Graham Arnold): Hassan, Ali, Tahsin, Hashem, Doxhi, Al-Amari, Ismail (59` Zidan Iqbal), Bayesh (78` Mohanad Ali), Yassim (73` Qasem), Al-Hamady (59` Marco Farji), Hussein (73` Saadoun).

    NORWAY (Stale Solbakken): Nyland, Ryerson, Ayer, Hegrem, Wolfe (73` Esteggard), Edegard (81` Berg), Berge, Orsens (73` Thorstvedt), Sorloth (73` Bob), Noosa (73` Schilderup), Haaland.