Norway marked their return to football's biggest stage with a statement victory, beating Iraq 4-1 in a World Cup Group match that swung back and forth before Erling Haaland's brilliance settled it.

It was Haaland who set the tone early. The Manchester City forward opened his World Cup account in the 29th minute, giving Norway the lead in a contest that had plenty of nerves on both sides given how long each team had waited for this stage.

Iraq did not fold. Aymen Hussein levelled things up with a well-placed header roughly ten minutes later, sending a jolt through a Norwegian side that had looked comfortable until then. The reply did not last, though. Just before the break, a mix-up at the back from Iraq goalkeeper Jalal Hassan let Haaland in for his second of the night, restoring Norway's lead heading into half-time at 2-1.

The occasion carried weight beyond the scoreline. Norway were playing their first World Cup match in 28 years, having missed every edition since France 1998 despite producing a generation of players good enough to headline some of Europe's biggest clubs. Iraq's wait has been even longer, their appearance marking a first World Cup outing since 1986. For both federations, simply being on the pitch in Foxborough carried its own significance, regardless of what followed.

Iraq had their moments before the interval too. Ali Al-Hamadi dragged an effort narrowly wide with the goal at his mercy, and from the resulting corner, Akam Hashim came agonisingly close to what would have been one of the standout goals of the tournament, his effort striking the crossbar rather than dipping in.

The second half settled into a quieter rhythm before Norway struck again. Leo Østigård rose well to head home a Martin Ødegaard corner in the 75th minute, a goal that effectively ended Iraq's hopes of a comeback. Norway made wholesale changes around this point, bringing on Oscar Bobb, Østigård, Kristian Thorstvedt and Andreas Schjelderup, while Iraq also freshened things up in search of a way back into the game.

There was late drama of a different kind in stoppage time, when Thorstvedt headed in from close range off a Haaland cross to make it 4-1, capping a memorable night for the Norwegian forward, who finished with two goals and an assist on his World Cup debut. Zaid Tahseen picked up Iraq's only yellow card of the match for a foul on Haaland midway through the second half.

The numbers from the match underline how significant the win was for Norway. It stands as the country's largest winning margin in men's World Cup history, surpassing previous one-goal victories over Brazil in 1998 and Mexico in 1994. Haaland's brace also means he ties Kjetil Rekdal for the most goals scored by a Norwegian player across World Cup history, and extends a competitive scoring streak for Norway to 11 matches dating back to November 2024. Statisticians tracking the team noted Norway have now won 15 straight matches in all competitions whenever Haaland has been on the scoresheet.

Both sides face a sharp rise in difficulty next. Norway take on Senegal in the early hours of Tuesday, June 23, while Iraq's group continues to test them further when they face France on Monday, June 22.