Haaland makes his 2026 World Cup debut against Iraq this Tuesday
The 2026 World Cup begins to take shape this Tuesday, June 16, with a clash that pits two very different stories against each other. Norway and Iraq open their campaigns in the Group at 11 PM (Brasília time) at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. For the Norwegians, it’s a return to the most important competition in football after a 28-year absence. For Iraq, it’s a chance to show that their difficult qualification – earned in a hard-fought 2-1 comeback over Bolivia in the playoff – was no fluke.
Norway back at the World Cup with Haaland ready to debut
The last time the Norwegian national team played a World Cup was in 1998, in France. Since then, a lot has changed – and the most notable of those changes goes by the name of Erling Haaland. The Manchester City striker will make his World Cup debut in this match, a moment awaited by fans all over the world.
Norway arrive at the tournament in machine-like form. In their last ten matches, Ståle Solbakken’s side found the net 31 times. In the last 21 games, there were 14 wins and only three defeats. Alexander Sørloth, another name in the attacking line, is in impressive form: five goals and two assists in his last eight games for the national team. Alongside Martin Ødegaard in the playmaking role, Norway boast an attacking trio capable of dismantling any poorly positioned defense. The squad is fully available, with no injury absences – a considerable advantage in such a short tournament.
Iraq bet on defensive organization and the counterattack
On the other side, Australian coach Graham Arnold has prepared a team very different in approach. Iraq are expected to sit back, cede possession and try to exploit quick transitions with Aymen Hussein and Ali Al-Hamadi. It’s a clear script: concede as little as possible and seize any gap.
Iraq’s recent statistics are more modest – ten wins and seven defeats in the last 21 games. The preparation friendlies were mixed: a defeat to Venezuela, a rout of Andorra and a goalless draw with Spain that suggested some solidity. Midfielder Osama Rashid is the main creative reference, but has scored just one goal in the last nine matches. The only confirmed absence is A. Yahya, through injury.
This will be the first time in history that the two national teams face each other in official competition. There is no history between them – which makes any prediction an exercise in analyzing recent form and tactical characteristics, without the weight of previous encounters.
What to expect from the match
The gap in attacking quality is considerable. Norway are expected to apply pressure from the opening whistle, and the tendency is for goals to come early – the expectation is for at least one converted shot still in the first half. A Norwegian win by a margin of two or more goals seems the most plausible outcome, given the Scandinavian attacking firepower against an Iraqi defense that, however good on paper, has rarely been tested by opponents of this caliber.
On the bench, Solbakken has plenty of options. Arnold will need collective discipline and some individual inspiration to create problems for his opponent. It will be a game of opposing strategies – and quality decides.
