Surely nobody expected anything different. Erling Haaland arrival on the biggest football stage of all involved a match-defining performance. Kylian Mbappé had laid down a marker with two goals in France’s win over Senegal. Haaland responded in kind, courtesy of a first-half double of his own. The Manchester City striker’s quest for the Golden Boot depends on Norway enjoying a decent run in the event. Their hopes for that extended stay are so hugely reliant on Haaland. Theirs is a powerful combination. The name on the back of the shirt is different for club versus country – Haaland becomes Braut Haaland – yet the output is identically ruthless. This is a 25-year-old you simply cannot take your eyes off. Iraq did that twice and suffered as a consequence.
The team who had waited 28 years for a World Cup return saw off the one who had not participated for 40. Iraq emerge with great credit from a match where the more than 30 world ranking places between the sides was not particularly obvious. Norway will need to improve, especially in the defensive third, where they looked occasionally shaky. Mbappé will have taken note, with France to face Norway in the final game of this section. Yet this was Haaland’s day. Martin Ødegaard was less visible than his fellow A-lister, albeit the Arsenal man created his country’s third goal. The captain was substituted shortly afterwards, as if to save him for sterner tests.
Even in the final seconds of stoppage time, Haaland’s work was not done. His looping header from a Kristoffer Ajer cross made Aymen Hussein panic sufficiently under pressure from Kristian Thorstvedt to bundle the ball into his own net. Norway’s win had glass applied.
It took a little over two minutes for it to become apparent what everybody bar a small band of Iraqis had come to see. Antonio Nusa played a glorious high pass ahead of the marauding Haaland. More than 60,000 people gasped. Uncharacteristically, the No 9 was unable to get the ball properly under control, but the ripples of excitement were obvious. Four minutes later, Haaland left Zaid Tahseen for dust before being unable to pick out Alexander Sørloth for what would have been a tap-in. Iraq responded through Ali al-Hamadi, who scooped a decent chance over the bar.
Norway are a team who have split opinion before this tournament. Underrated or overrated? Both views have been widely articulated. The star appeal of Haaland and Ødegaard sets them apart – and is hugely impressive for a nation of fewer than 6 million people – but there is also a clear depth of talent. Nusa was particularly lively here. Oscar Bobb, who would walk into decent international teams, was named among Norway’s substitutes. This is rightly, then, portrayed as a golden generation of Norwegian footballers. With that comes expectation and pressure, especially against opposition as underwhelming as Iraq. The journey of Iraq to reach the World Cup, both in respect of playing more qualifying games than any other nation and logistical challenges imposed by the Middle East war, is worthy of huge credit. Nonetheless, it will be a shock if they do not finish bottom of Group I.
The record books will show that Haaland’s moment, inevitably the first of many on this stage, arrived in the 29th minute. Nusa, who was bamboozling Iraq with his every touch, fed David Møller Wolfe. Haaland beat a path to the back post, from there he converted Møller Wolfe’s cross from all of two yards out. Cometh the hour. Haaland’s statistics remain absurd: this was his 11th goal in the same number of recent competitive outings for Norway. The record was to become even better.
What happened next was not in the script. Iraq became the latest underdogs to provide tremors in this World Cup. Not only was their equaliser of great quality, it served as the finest moment in the country’s brief World Cup history. Back in 1986 Iraq scored only once, in the 2-1 loss to Belgium. This one was a cracker. Ali Jassim found Amir al-Ammari, who stood up a cross. Hussein was never the favourite to win the ball but outjumped a clutch of Norway defenders to plant a magnificent header past the diving Ørjan Håskjold Nyland. The scale of euphoria perfectly depicted the significance of the goal.
Haaland is prolific enough without opposition players teeing him up. Iraq could only hold on to parity for barely three minutes, the consequence of a crazy act of self-harm. For reasons known to himself, Jalal Hassan paused rather than rushing to boot a back-pass clear. Haaland spotted the goalkeeper’s uncertainty, weird as it was for a player who has amassed more than 100 caps. Haaland’s shot rebounded from the goalkeeper then back from himself to restore Norway’s lead.
Iraq could count themselves unfortunate to be behind at the break. Møller Wolfe’s magnificent block denied Ibrahim Bayesh. In the final act of the half, Akam Hashem’s half-volley dipped just inches over Nyland’s bar.
The second period quickly lapsed into the instantly forgettable category. Hussein Ali could not keep a back-post volley low enough to trouble Nyland. Haaland could never be described as peripheral but Iraq could take heart from the fact Norway’s phenomenon had no chances between half-time and the hydration break.
Leeway for Norway was provided by a substitute. Leo Østigård leapt highest to meet Ødegaard’s corner, with Iraq not unreasonably questioning the level of grappling in the vicinity of the scorer.
Hassan saved from Haaland, denying the striker a hat-trick and the usurping of Mbappé. This time, at least. Haaland is up and running.