Top News

Norway could not have entered the 2026 World Cup in better form, and Iraq find themselves as the unfortunate team facing them first.

Both Norway and Iraq will step onto the World Cup stage this evening at the Boston Stadium, with the match set to be broadcast live on the BBC at 11pm.

Although football fans around the world have dubbed Group I the ‘Group of Death’, there could be no better opportunity for Norway to prove whether they are genuine contenders or simply pretenders.

After collecting a flawless 24 points from 24 available in their World Cup qualifying group, Iraq now face a Norwegian side eager to make a statement. But is the outcome really as predictable as many assume?

It is clear that there are no easy fixtures at the World Cup, not even with the expanded +16 team format that some critics feared would dilute competitiveness in the early rounds.

The first week of the tournament has already demonstrated this, with Cape Verde holding Spain to a stunning 0-0 draw, Egypt putting up a fierce fight against Belgium, and Japan rescuing a 2-2 draw against the Netherlands in the dying minutes.

The main concern for Iraq will be how to handle Erling Haaland. Given that he thrives in one of England’s most finely tuned attacking systems, one might expect him to struggle slightly when playing for Norway, right?

That assumption, however, could not be further from the truth. Haaland has seamlessly carried his club form onto the international stage, as his extraordinary record in World Cup qualifying clearly shows.

In eight qualifying matches, the striker contributed to 18 goals — scoring 16 and providing two assists — as Norway cruised through their group unbeaten against Italy, Estonia, Israel and Moldova.

Considering that Iraq’s squad ranks among those who missed out on qualification for the North American tournament in the FIFA standings, this matchup does not represent a significant jump in quality for Norway’s prolific number nine.

Haaland’s combination of pace and raw power makes him a constant threat, and his absence in March’s friendly against the Netherlands — which Norway lost 2-1 — was notably felt.

For Iraq, the most realistic approach will likely be to sit deep, defend in numbers, and hope for opportunities on the counterattack.

As Cape Verde’s performance against Spain showed, that strategy is not necessarily futile. Moreover, Norway’s defence — which conceded in half of their World Cup qualifying matches — is not entirely impenetrable.

Unfortunately for Iraq, they lack a player with the creativity or finishing prowess to truly punish Norway on the break, making their task even more daunting.

With Norway returning to the World Cup for the first time since 1998, an early goal against a weaker opponent could settle any nerves and set the stage for a dominant performance.

Prediction: 3-0 Norway, with goals coming from Haaland (x2) and Antonio Nusa.