Iraq vs Norway
Norway cruises past Iraq with Haaland brace
E. Haaland's double and solid defence secure a commanding 4-1 World Cup win.
Norway delivered a convincing 4-1 victory over Iraq in the World Cup, powered by E. Haaland's two first-half goals and a second-half strike from L. Østigård. Iraq's Aymen Hussein managed to pull one back before the break, but an own goal in stoppage time sealed Norway's dominance. Fipster's prediction of an away win was spot on, though the margin of victory exceeded expectations.
Analysis
The 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage kicks off with Norway facing Iraq. Norway enters with a squad brimming with top-tier European league talent, while Iraq fields a team largely from lower-tier clubs and unattached players. This clash promises a clear test of quality and form.
Norway has appeared in three previous World Cups, with their best finish reaching the Round of 16 in 1998. Iraq has made a single appearance before, exiting at the group stage in 1986. Neither team is hosting the tournament, which is jointly held by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Norway topped their qualifying group with 24 points and a +32 goal difference, while Iraq qualified second in their group with 4 points and a +1 goal difference.
Norway's squad boasts 17 players competing in top-five European leagues, including standout striker Erling Haaland of Manchester City, defender Kristoffer Ajer of Brentford, and midfielder Sander Berge of Fulham. In contrast, Iraq's squad has no players in top-five leagues, with many unattached or playing in lower-tier competitions. Norway's recent form is impressive, winning their last four matches and averaging 3 points per game, while Iraq's form is more mixed. This significant quality and form gap suggests Norway will control the match and secure a comfortable win.
Prediction
Expect Norway to take an early lead, possibly by halftime, and maintain control to finish with a 2-0 victory. The predicted halftime score is 0-1, reflecting Norway's attacking edge. The match is expected to be competitive but disciplined, with a modest total of three cards anticipated.
Outcome probability
Key Insights
Norway's superior attacking firepower
Norway boasts elite forwards like Haaland and strong midfield creators, giving them a clear edge in goal threat.
Norway's players from top European leagues
Most Norway players compete in top5EU leagues, indicating higher quality and experience than Iraq's unattached or lower-tier players.
Lack of recent form data limits Iraq's predictability
Iraq's minimal recent stats and unattached players reduce confidence in their offensive output compared to Norway's established stars.
Iraq's midfield creativity centered on Zidane Iqbal
Iqbal's Eredivisie experience and playmaking role could be key to creating chances against Norway's defense.
No injuries reported for either team
Full squads available, so tactical choices and player quality will be decisive.
Key Takeaways
Norway's blend of top-league experience and recent winning momentum makes them clear favourites against Iraq. While Iraq will look to Zidane Iqbal's creativity to unlock chances, Norway's quality and depth should prevail in this group stage opener.
- Norway has 3 prior World Cup appearances; best finish: Round of 16 (1998).
- Iraq has 1 prior World Cup appearance; best finish: Group stage (1986).
- Norway topped their qualifying group with 24 points and +32 goal difference.
- Iraq qualified second in their group with 4 points and +1 goal difference.
- Norway's squad includes 17 players from top-five European leagues.
- Iraq's squad has no players in top-five European leagues.
- Norway's recent form shows 4 straight wins and 3.0 points per game.
- Iraq's recent form is mixed with 2.2 points per game.
Player Insights
Standout players Fipster expects to impact the match — curated highlights, not full squad lists
Home — Iraq
No standout best passers flagged for Iraq
Away — Norway
Form as the teams went into this match — excludes this result and anything since.
Team Comparison
Season shape — attack, defence, form, clean sheets & win rate
Season comparison
Goals scored & conceded, goal difference and clean sheets across the season
Halftime Performance
What each side does once the whistle goes for half time
Streaks
Recent-form runs — each side’s most-recent game meets in the middle
Head to Head
FIFA world ranking
Haaland
Assist: Møller Wolfe
Aymen Hussein
Assist: Amir Al Ammari
Haaland
Ismaeel
Ali Al Hamadi
Nusa
Jasim
Møller Wolfe
Sørloth
Ali
Aursnes
Østigård
Assist: Ødegaard
Bayesh
Ødegaard
Tahseen
Yellow Card
Aymen Hussein (OG)
Match Statistics
Iraq
4-4-2Starting XI
- 3Hussein AliD
- 4Zayed TahseenD
- 5Akam HashimD
- 8Ibraheem BayeshM
- 9Ali Al HamadiF
- 12Jalal Hassan HachimG
- 16Amir Al AmmariM
- 17A. JasimM
- 18Aymen HusseinF
- 23Merchas DoskiD
- 24Z. IsmaeelM
Substitutes
- 1Fahad TalibG
- 2Rebin SolakaD
- 6Munaf YounusD
- 7Youssef AmynF
- 10Mohanad Ali KadhimF
- 11A. QasemF
- 13Ali Yousif HashimF
- 14Zidane IqbalM
- 15Ahmed Hasan Al ReeshaweeD
- 19Kevin YakobM
- 20A. SherM
- 21M. FarjiM
- 22Ahmed BasilG
- 25Mustafa SaadounD
- 26Frans PutrosD
Norway
4-4-2Starting XI
- 1Ø. NylandG
- 3K. AjerD
- 5D. Møller WolfeD
- 7A. SørlothF
- 8S. BergeM
- 9E. HaalandF
- 10M. ØdegaardM
- 14F. AursnesM
- 17T. HeggemD
- 20A. NusaM
- 26J. RyersonD
Substitutes
- 2M. ThorsbyM
- 4L. ØstigårdD
- 6P. BergM
- 11J. Strand LarsenF
- 12S. TangvikG
- 13E. SelvikG
- 15F. BjørkanD
- 16M. PedersenD
- 18K. ThorstvedtM
- 19T. AasgaardM
- 21A. SchjelderupF
- 22Oscar BobbM
- 23J. HaugeM
- 24S. LangåsD
- 25H. FalchenerD
Iraq
| Player | Pos | Min | Rating | G | A | Shots | SoT | Key Passes | Dribbles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aymen Hussein | F | 95 | 7.5 | 1 | — | 3 | 1 | 1 | — |
| Merchas Doski | D | 95 | 7.2 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1/3 |
| Amir Al-Ammari | M | 95 | 7.0 | — | 1 | — | — | 3 | — |
| Ibrahim Bayesh | M | 78 | 6.7 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1/4 |
| Ali Jasim | M | 73 | 6.7 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2/4 |
| Ali Al-Hamadi | F | 59 | 6.6 | — | — | 2 | — | 1 | 1/1 |
| Zaid Ismail | M | 59 | 6.6 | — | — | — | — | — | 0/1 |
| Akam Hashem | D | 95 | 6.3 | — | — | 1 | — | — | 3/3 |
| Jalal Hassan(C) | G | 95 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Hussein Ali | D | 73 | 6.0 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
| Zaid Tahseen | D | 95 | 5.7 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — |
| Substitutes | |||||||||
| Kevin Yakob | M | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ahmed Basil | G | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Frans Putros | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Rebin Sulaka | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Aimar Sher | M | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ali Yousif | F | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Fahad Talib | G | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Munaf Younus | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ahmed Hasan Maknazi | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Youssef Amyn | F | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ahmed Qasem | F | 22 | 6.7 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Zidane Iqbal | M | 36 | 6.7 | — | — | — | — | — | 2/3 |
| Marko Farji | M | 36 | 6.5 | — | — | — | — | — | 0/2 |
| Mohanad Ali | F | 17 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Mustafa Saadoon | D | 22 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Norway
| Player | Pos | Min | Rating | G | A | Shots | SoT | Key Passes | Dribbles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erling Haaland | F | 95 | 8.2 | 2 | — | 5 | 4 | 1 | 1/1 |
| David Møller Wolfe | D | 73 | 7.7 | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 0/1 |
| Martin Ødegaard(C) | M | 81 | 7.3 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 0/2 |
| Sander Berge | M | 95 | 7.2 | — | — | — | — | — | 1/1 |
| Torbjørn Heggem | D | 95 | 6.9 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Kristoffer Ajer | D | 95 | 6.9 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ørjan Nyland | G | 95 | 6.7 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Julian Ryerson | D | 95 | 6.7 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 1/3 |
| Antonio Nusa | M | 73 | 6.6 | — | — | — | — | — | 2/5 |
| Fredrik Aursnes | M | 73 | 6.6 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Alexander Sørloth | F | 73 | 6.2 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0/3 |
| Substitutes | |||||||||
| Jørgen Strand Larsen | F | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Marcus Pedersen | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Henrik Sælebakke Falchener | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sander Tangvik | G | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sondre Langås | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Thelo Aasgaard | M | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Morten Thorsby | M | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Fredrik André Bjørkan | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jens Petter Hauge | M | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Egil Selvik | G | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Leo Østigård | D | 22 | 7.5 | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | — | — |
| Kristian Thorstvedt | M | 22 | 6.7 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
| Andreas Schjelderup | F | 22 | 6.5 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0/2 |
| Patrick Berg | M | 14 | 6.5 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Oscar Bobb | M | 22 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |