Haaland scores twice on World Cup debut as Norway beats Iraq

Erling Haaland marked his FIFA World Cup debut with two goals, inspiring Norway to a 4-1 victory over Iraq on Tuesday. The 25-year-old striker, who had already scored hat-tricks on his Champions League, Bundesliga, and Premier League debuts, continued his tradition of making an immediate impact on the global stage.

Haaland's World Cup Arrival

Haaland opened the scoring just before the half-hour mark, sliding in to convert David Moller Wolfe's cross from the left. The goal was Norway's first at a World Cup finals in 10,220 days, since the 1998 tournament — 759 days before Haaland was born. Iraq briefly equalized through Aymen Hussein's towering header, but Haaland restored Norway's lead before halftime after charging down a backpass and slotting home.

Norway manager Stale Solbakken praised his star striker's performance: "You can see he lived up to the occasion — it wasn't too big for him. I had a good feeling before the game, the last training session was very good. I had a feeling he would do it for us today."

Mbappe Sets the Stage

The match came just over an hour after Kylian Mbappe inspired France to a 3-1 victory over Senegal with two superb goals, becoming Les Bleus' all-time leading scorer. Haaland, nearly 18 months younger than Mbappe, responded with a display of desire and clinical finishing. Former England striker Ellen White noted: "The quality and physicality round the box from Haaland was on another level. He wants to be top goalscorer in this tournament."

Haaland's Impact and Leadership

Despite having only 11 touches in the first half — the fewest of any player — Haaland's influence was decisive. Former Wales defender Ashley Williams highlighted his work rate: "What impressed me was his desire. You could see what it meant to him the way he was pressing and doing the ugly bits. I would argue that he did more today for Norway than we see him do for Man City. Today he took on a leadership role, he was driving the team forward."

Haaland now has 57 goals in 51 appearances for Norway, a goals-per-game ratio exceeded only by Denmark's Poul Nielsen (52 goals in 38 games in the 1910s and 1920s) among men with at least 50 international goals. His rate surpasses all-time greats such as Gerd Muller and Sandor Kocsis.

Opposition Praise

Iraq head coach Graham Arnold acknowledged Haaland's quality: "He's just an amazing number nine. We dealt with him quite well for a lot of the game, but at the end of the day he's a top striker." Arnold added that he told Haaland after the match: "You're one of the best number nines I've ever seen. He's so strong, so quick and he's just lethal." Arnold also warned that Norway "could shock a lot of people with the team they have. They could go a very long way."

Haaland came close to a hat-trick, denied by a Jalal Hassan block after pouncing on a loose pass, and seeing a looping header bundled over his own line by Hussein in added time. He is the sixth player to score twice in their opening game at this World Cup.