Haaland marks World Cup debut with two goals as Norway beat Iraq

Erling Haaland scored two goals in his first World Cup finals appearance, helping Norway beat Iraq 4-1. The performance extended his pattern of making immediate scoring impacts in major competitions.

The Norway striker had already made notable goal-scoring debuts in the Champions League with RB Salzburg, the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund and the Premier League with Manchester City. This time, his first goal also ended Norway’s long wait for a World Cup finals goal, with the previous one coming in 1998.

Iraq briefly responded through Aymen Hussein, but Haaland’s persistence and penalty-box presence kept Norway in control. He came close to a hat-trick, with Jalal Hassan denying him late before another Norway attack ended with Hussein turning the ball over his own line.

The match also added to the wider tournament storyline after Kylian Mbappe scored twice for France against Senegal earlier in the day. For Norway, the bigger question is whether Haaland’s finishing, work rate and growing leadership can turn them from an interesting side into a serious World Cup threat.