Erling Haaland took less than half an hour to score his first World Cup goal. The Manchester City striker's arrival on the biggest football stage involved a match-defining performance. After Kylian Mbappé set the tone with two goals in France's win against Senegal, Haaland responded with a first-half double of his own.
Haaland's quest for the Golden Boot depends on Norway enjoying a decent run. Their hopes rely heavily on the 25-year-old, who combines club and country ruthlessness. Norway's captain Martin Ødegaard was less visible but created the third goal before being substituted to save him for tougher tests.
Iraq, returning to the World Cup after 40 years, equalized through Aymen Hussein's magnificent header. However, Haaland restored the lead after goalkeeper Jalal Hassan hesitated on a back-pass. Leo Østigård added a fourth from a corner, and an own goal in stoppage time sealed the win.
Haaland's statistics remain absurd: this was his 11th goal in 11 competitive outings for Norway. Despite his dominance, he deflected praise, noting that Mbappé and Harry Kane had better numbers in the 2025-26 season.
