Successful Return to the Elite: In their opening World Cup match, Norway defeated Iraq

2026-06-17 02:46 © ZUMAPRESS.com

Norway successfully returned to the world national teams elite after 28 years, playing in the World Cup again.

The first pancake didn’t burn upon return – Norway defeated Iraq 4:1.

In the 29th minute, Erling Haaland scored his first goal for Norway in the major championship.

In the 39th minute, Iraq created a great attack, and Aymen Husein leveled the score.

In the 43rd minute, Iraq made a serious defensive mistake, allowing E. Haaland to swing the result back in favor of the European team.

In the 77th minute, Leo Østigård closed the match. The defender scored after a set piece, coming onto the field just 73 minutes into the game.

In other Group I match, France defeated Senegal 3:1. In the second round, the winners will meet each other, while the losers will play their match against one another.

🚨🌎 ERLING HAALAND SCORES HIS FIRST EVER WORLD CUP GOAL! 🤖🇳🇴

Norway 1-0 Iraq.pic.twitter.com/afFKpTATfD

— Tekkers Foot (@tekkersfoot) June 16, 2026