Iraq vs. Norway: How far can Erling Haaland take his country after Man City striker's brace in World Cup 2026 Group I opener

Norway kicked off their World Cup 2026 campaign on Tuesday, earning all three points with a 4-1 win over Group I rivals Iraq at Boston Stadium.

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland - who was making his World Cup debut - opened the scoring in predictable fashion thanks to a simple finish with less than half an hour on the clock.

However, while some may have expected Iraq to collapse after conceding, they rallied and found an equaliser 10 minutes later, a powerful header from Aymen Hussein.

It took another effort from Haaland to get the Red, White and Blue back in front, and after large spells of the second half remained tense, it became clear to see that the 25-year-old frontman is the difference-maker for Stale Solbakken's side.

Here, after Norway's win against Iraq, Sports Mole considers how far Haaland can take his nation at World Cup 2026.

Erling Haaland can handle World Cup expectations

The Man City striker's reputation precedes him, and expectations were ballooning ahead of what was to be Norway's first World Cup match since 1998.

Haaland had bagged an astonishing 16 goals and provided a further three assists across eight World Cup qualifiers on the way to this summer's tournament, and it is fair to say that a nation's hopes rest on his shoulders.

Many great players have been burdened by the weight of expectation in the past, and it would not have been surprising to see the same happen here, but Haaland seemed to revel in the responsibility.

He was well-positioned to finish off a cross from David Moller Wolfe to set his team on their way, and when they were pegged back, he made sure to drag Norway in front by capitalising on a mistake in the Iraqi backline.

In truth, Haaland should have completed his hat-trick in the second half as he fired a one-on-one straight at goalkeeper Jalal Hassan from close range with the score at 3-1, but the number nine had already done the damage by that point.

Regardless, the mentality that Haaland showed to perform despite the intense scrutiny he was under bodes well for Norway as they seek to escape one of the most difficult groups in the tournament.

Iraq are the weakest team in World Cup 2026's Group I

A 4-1 win reads as a dominant result on paper, but the reality of Tuesday's match was less than spectacular for Norway.

Iraq were competitive for significant portions of the game, and after scoring an arguably deserved equaliser, they gifted their opponents a way to regain the lead.

Even after conceding Haaland's second, the Lions of Mesopotamia produced opportunities via the likes of Ibrahim Bayesh and Ali Al-Hamadi, and it felt as though a team with more individual quality could have punished Solbakken's side.

Norway will come up against Senegal on June 23, and unless they can tighten their defence - which allowed Iraq to record eight shots from inside their box - they could struggle.

Even more troubling is the fact that the Red, White and Blue are set to face France three days after that Senegal clash, and it remains to be seen whether Haaland's exceptional goalscoring prowess will be enough to overcome two of the strongest nations from their respective continents.

Erling Haaland is one of the best, but Norway have more to offer

Discussions about Norway at World Cup 2026 have understandably centred around Haaland, who has now scored 57 goals in 51 games for his country.

However, the squad more broadly features a number of talented players that feature throughout top European leagues.

For example, captain Martin Odegaard has been a key figure for Arsenal over the years, and while he was far from his best in 2025-26, the 27-year-old provided seven assists for his teammates during the five qualifiers he started.

Elsewhere, Alexander Sorloth is a physical forward that scored 20 times for Atletico Madrid last season, while 21-year-old RB Leipzig winger Antonio Nusa has bagged eight goals in 25 games for Norway.

Haaland is sure to be the difference-maker in vital moments, and his clinical finishing could be especially effective in the knockout rounds, but the rest of the squad will need to platform and support their talisman in order to provide him with the moments he needs to strike.