FOXBOROUGH, United States — Erling Braut Haaland netted a clinical first-half brace as Norway cruised to a dominant 4-1 victory over Iraq at the Gillette Stadium to secure their first maximum points of the 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage.
The high-scoring Group F match concluded late on Tuesday night, June 16, 2026, putting the Scandinavian side back on track for knockout-stage qualification after their opening-round setbacks.
Okay News sports reports that Norway’s talismanic Manchester City forward completely dictated the offensive tempo in the early exchanges. Erling Braut Haaland broke the deadlock in the 29th minute with a powerful near-post header, only for Iraq’s star striker Aymen Hussein to temporarily level the score ten minutes later by latching onto a loose defensive clearance to fire past Ørjan Nyland.
Norway quickly reasserted dominance just before the interval, with Haaland capitalising on an explicit through-ball from Martin Ødegaard in the 43rd minute to restore the lead. The Europeans put the game entirely out of reach in the second half when Rennes defender Leo Østigård rose highest to power home a corner kick in the 76th minute. Iraq’s defensive frustrations culminated deep into stoppage time when Aymen Hussein turned a low cross into his own net at the 95th minute, sealing a comprehensive victory for Ståle Solbakken’s squad ahead of their final group fixture against the United States.
