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Norway, making its first appearance on the World Cup stage in 28 years, celebrates in front of the crowd after securing a dominant 4-1 victory over Iraq in their opening Group I match of the 2026 World Cup at the Boston Stadium in the United States on June 16 (local time). / Photo courtesy of Reuters, Yonhap News Agency

The Asian Football Confederation's (AFC) undefeated streak at the 2026 FIFA World Cup has ground to a halt. Norway, returning to the World Cup stage for the first time in 28 years, crushed Iraq on the back of a masterclass from "monster striker" Erling Haaland (Manchester City) to claim the top spot in the group.

On June 16 (local time), Norway dismantled Iraq 4-1 in their opening Group I match of the FIFA World Cup at the Boston Stadium in Massachusetts. Haaland netted a brace, while an additional strike from Leo Østigård coupled with an own goal from Aymen Hussein sealed the emphatic victory.

In the same group, France defeated Senegal 3-1 powered by a brace from Kylian Mbappé. Consequently, while Norway and France sit level on 3 points each, Norway captured first place in Group I by virtue of goal difference.

This tournament marks Norway's fourth World Cup appearance in history and its first since the 1998 tournament in France 28 years ago. Haaland—who has claimed the English Premier League (EPL) Golden Boot three times (2022–2023, 2023–2024, and 2025–2026 seasons) and led the European World Cup qualifiers with 16 goals across 8 matches—fully lived up to his billing in his career-first World Cup appearance.

Norway broke the deadlock in the 29th minute. Capitalizing on a counterattack, Haaland latched onto a penetrating pass from David Møller Wolfe and slid to fire home a right-footed shot from the right side of the goal, marking his debut World Cup goal.

Iraq, however, refused to back down without a fight. In the 39th minute, Amir Al-Ammari collected a pass from Ali Jasim and floated a cross into the box, which Aymen Hussein converted with a header to level the score. It marked only the second goal in Iraq's World Cup history.

The turning point of the match boiled down to composure in the box. In the 43rd minute, an awkward backpass by the Iraqi defense inside the penalty area proved costly. While goalkeeper Jalal Hassan hesitated to clear the ball, Haaland pressed relentlessly, causing the attempted clearance to ricochet off his leg and fly straight into the back of the net.

Iraq mounted a stubborn fightback into the second half. However, they squandered their decisive opportunities, including a brilliant volley from Ibrahim Bayesh during first-half stoppage time that was denied by a desperate block, leaving them unable to close the gap despite their aggressive search for an equalizer.

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Aymen Hussein of Iraq celebrates with his hands raised high after scoring the equalizing goal during the opening Group I match against Norway at the Boston Stadium in the United States on June 16 (local time) during the 2026 World Cup. / Photo courtesy of Xinhua, Yonhap News Agency

Sharp finishing and critical details separate the two sides

Conversely, Norway's crisis management capabilities truly stood out. They calmly weathered Iraq's offensive and shifted the momentum by making four substitutions. The tactical changes paid dividends almost immediately. In the 76th minute, Martin Ødegaard floated a precise corner kick that was met by the substituted Østigård, who buried a header to extend the lead. In second-half stoppage time, an own goal from Hussein sealed the comprehensive victory.

Even when their attacking build-up stalled, Norway broke the deadlock with a single counterattack, manufacturing goals through high-pressing that capitalized on opponent errors and sheer focus during set-pieces. Haaland's lethal finishing, Ødegaard's exceptional crossing ability, and the bench's timely substitutions harmonized flawlessly to successfully crown their World Cup return after 28 years.

While Iraq held their own in terms of overall gameplay, they faltered during the match's most critical moments. A fatal blunder by the backline gifted Norway the match-winner, and a lack of clinical edge to convert their own chances ultimately held them back. Having endured a grueling journey through the intercontinental playoffs to reach their second-ever World Cup final stage—and their first since the 1986 tournament in Mexico 40 years ago—Iraq gained invaluable experience but suffered a heavy defeat in their opener.

With this result, the undefeated streak of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) nations at this tournament has come to an end. Asia had mounted a sensational run, remaining unbeaten across six matches (2 wins, 4 draws) with victories from South Korea and Australia alongside draws from Qatar, Japan, Iran, and Saudi Arabia. However, Iraq's defeat has finally applied the brakes to the Asian surge.

Following the match, Norwegian media outlet VG reported, "Norway has moved very close to the Round of 32." Citing an analysis by the statistical research institute NR (Norsk Regnesentral), the outlet projected Norway's probability of advancing to the Round of 32 to be at least 90%.

                                                                                                         Cheon Hyun-bin