Erling Haaland made his World Cup debut as Norway faced Iraq in Group I, putting one of the game’s most watched forwards on the biggest stage for the first time. The moment mattered beyond the player. Norway were back in a World Cup for the first time in 28 years, and Iraq were back for the first time since 1986.
That is why the match drew attention immediately. Earlier in Group I, France had beaten Senegal 3-1, but this game carried a different pull: it was the opening of a rare return for both sides, and the first chance to see whether Haaland could turn his club scoring habit into a World Cup presence.
He nearly did. Haaland rose highest from a corner, only to send his header off target, a chance that underlined how little room Iraq were willing to give him and how quickly every half-opening could become dangerous. James McFadden said Iraq were showing they were well up for it and that Haaland only needs a sliver of an opening to make something happen. In the same breath, he called it a difficult one for Haaland, before adding that Norway’s squad carries the pressure that comes with expectations of qualifying for major tournaments.
The match also exposed a different kind of problem for Norway. Stephen Warnock said they were too slow, and urged them to move the ball quicker and take more risks. He went further, saying he wanted to know how often Berge had gone backwards and sideways because Norway had not looked to break the lines. Against a side that had started well, that caution left Haaland isolated at times rather than supplied with the kind of service that usually feeds him.
There was no sense that Iraq had come simply to absorb pressure. Graham Arnold was pleased with how his side had begun, and even the commentary around the contest reflected that shift. McFadden said it was a tough group for everyone, and that while many expected Iraq to finish bottom, they were challenging Norway. That is the more pointed reading of this debut: not just that Haaland was finally on the World Cup stage, but that the stage itself was less forgiving than the reputation around him might suggest.
What happens next is still the central question hanging over Norway and Haland alike. This first appearance in 28 years for Norway and first since 1986 for Iraq set the tone, but it did not settle anything. For Haaland, the tournament has begun with a header he could not keep down and a reminder that a World Cup does not bend easily to expectation.
