Norway striker Erling Haaland struck twice in his maiden World Cup appearance on Tuesday and guide his team to a 4-1 Group I victory over Iraq.
The 25-year-old Haaland came into the FIFA World Cup carrying huge expectations. One of the most prolific forwards in world football, Haaland marked his World Cup debut with a brilliant performance as Norway returned to the tournament for the first time in 28 years.
After a quiet opening, Haaland got his first World Cup goal in the 29th minute. The striker lost his markers and met David Moller Wolfe’s low cross at the far post, poking the ball into the net.
“It’s never easy making your debut because you’re nervous,” Haaland said after the match. “So to win even when we weren’t at our best is great. Winning 4-1 on an average day is massive for us. I’m proud of the team.”
“This is the toughest stage in football. The next matches will be even harder, and we’ll have to play better,” he added.
For Iraq, simply reaching the World Cup was a huge achievement. They were appearing at the tournament for the first time in 40 years after securing the final qualification spot with a 2-1 playoff win over Bolivia in March.
Having come through a demanding qualifying campaign that included 21 matches, Iraq showed plenty of resilience. Ten minutes after Haaland’s opener, they produced a superb equaliser. Aymen Hussein, whose goal against Bolivia had booked Iraq’s World Cup ticket, rose above three Norwegian defenders to head home an Amir Al Ammari cross.
However, Iraq’s celebrations did not last long.
A poor back pass put goalkeeper Jalal Hassan under pressure. As he hesitated while trying to clear the ball, Haaland closed him down. The clearance struck the Norwegian striker and bounced into the net, giving him his second goal of the night and his 57th in 51 international appearances.
Looking fresh after being carefully managed by Manchester City at the end of the Premier League season and by Norway before the tournament, Haaland was ruthless. He needed only 11 touches in the first half to score twice and hand Norway their first-ever half-time lead in a World Cup match.
Iraq refused to back down and threatened several times in first-half stoppage time. Both teams, who had been away from the World Cup for a combined 68 years, produced an entertaining and high-energy first half.
The pace slowed after the break, but Norway sealed the result in the 76th minute when substitute Leo Ostigard glanced a header into the net. Iraq’s problems worsened in stoppage time when Hussein accidentally turned the ball into his own goal.
Norway’s next match is against Senegal, who lost 3-1 to France earlier in the day. Iraq, meanwhile, will face 2018 World Cup champions France in their second Group I fixture.
