Iraq vs Norway, FIFA World Cup 2026 — Haaland and Co. seeing success against Lions of Mesopotamia

Human goals machine Erling Haaland will look to get his World Cup account up and running immediately when Norway takes on Iraq on Tuesday to end the country’s nearly three-decade absence from the elite football tournament.

Haaland will come face to face with possibly his most likely challenger for that distinction – Kylian Mbappé – when Norway face France in the final match of Group I on June 26.

Before that, Iraq and Senegal await Tuesday’s meeting with the Lions of Mesopotamia in Boston, which represents Norway’s first match at a World Cup since 1998, when the country lost to Italy in the round of 16. That defeat was followed by a spectacular fall from grace for a team that had previously been the second-best in the world in the FIFA rankings in the 1990s.

Having scored the most goals of any European team in World Cup qualifiers – Haaland’s strike partner Alexander Sorloth scored five and Thelo Aasgaard four – Norway could challenge France for top spot in Group I.

Standing in the way on Tuesday is an Iraq side, whose route to Boston was via a grueling 21-match qualifying campaign that – despite travel disruption caused by the US and Israeli war with neighboring Iran – ended with victory over Bolivia in the intercontinental play-offs in Mexico.

Iraq coach Graham Arnold led his native Australia to the round of 16 at the last World Cup in Qatar, where they were defeated by eventual champions Argentina.

Striker Aymen Hussein, who scored the goal that qualified Iraq for the finals, will look to steal some of the spotlight from Haaland.

(With input from agencies)

Published on June 16, 2026