Iraq vs. Norway Match Preview: Haaland Leads Nordic Return | OneFootball

Norway and Iraq will make their debut on Tuesday, June 16, in Group I of the 2026 World Cup, just moments after France faces Senegal in the same group. After knowing that result, the teams will take the field in search of their first win.

Below is all the key information you need to know before the Iraq vs. Norway game. Let’s get into it.

Iraq vs. Norway

Kickoff: 6:00 pm ET/3:00 pm PTGillette Stadium, Foxborough, MassachusettsWatch on FOX, Telemundo and fuboTV

Norway returns to the World Cup for the first time in 28 years with one of the most talented generations in its history. Ståle Solbakken’s team qualified with authority, with Erling Haaland as the big name.

The Manchester City striker, who is playing in his first senior World Cup, shares the spotlight with Martin Ødegaard (Arsenal) and a squad that also includes Alexander Sørloth (Atletico Madrid) and young Antonio Nusa (RB Leipzig), nicknamed the “Norwegian Neymar” for his ability to create imbalance on the wing.

Iraq, for its part, returns to the World Cup four decades after its only appearance, in Mexico 1986. The Lions of Mesopotamia, coached by Australian Graham Arnold, secured the last available ticket to the tournament by beating Bolivia in the intercontinental playoff in Monterrey.

The path to this point was not easy. Political instability and complex travel amid a regional conflict weighed on the team during qualifying, and forward Aymen Hussein will be its main offensive reference against one of the toughest opponents in the group.

This is the first meeting in history between the two nations. For Iraq, the immediate goal is to limit the damage against Norway and France to arrive with options for the decisive match. The Nordics, on the other hand, aim to seal their passage to the next round as soon as possible and focus on the match against Senegal on June 22, which could be decisive in World Cup Group I.

Iraq vs. Norway: Team News

Iraq prepares to be the group‘s surprise. In previous friendlies, it tied 1-1 with Spain and lost 2-0 to Venezuela, which is not in the World Cup.

Graham Arnold has his entire squad available and has not hinted at changes to the 4-4-2 system that has given him structure and results during the qualifying phase. The Australian coach has built a team based on defensive compactness and the effectiveness of his two forwards in transitions, a model that requires all the gears to work in sync.

Norway was satisfied with its preparation. Stale Solbakken’s team beat Sweden 3-1 and tied 1-1 with always-tricky Morocco. With Martin Odegaard, Erling Haaland, and Alexander Sorloth as its main stars, it will seek to surpass the round-of-16 mark, which it reached at the 1998 World Cup.

Ståle Solbakken has no physical issues to manage and can field his most reliable team from the first minute. Ørjan Nyland, 35 years old with 71 caps for Norway since his time at Sevilla, is one of the most experienced goalkeepers among the Group I teams and offers security in aerial situations and one-on-one duels.

The trio of Haaland, Nusa, and Sørloth is Solbakken’s most powerful weapon and the one Iraq will have to guard without any distraction. Haaland (55 goals in 50 matches) is the central pillar, but Nusa (eight goals in 24 matches, 21 years old) generates constant danger from the left wing, and Sorloth (26 goals in 72 matches) provides physical presence and finishing ability on the right. The combination of the three forces prevents the Iraqi defense from focusing all its resources on a single point.

Predicted Lineups

Iraq predicted XI vs. Norway: Ahmed Basil; Merchas Doski, Akam Hashim, Zaid Tahseen, Hussein Ali; Aimar Sher, Amir Al Ammari, Ibrahim Bayesh, Youssef Amyn; Aymen Hussein, Ali Al Hamadi.

Norway predicted XI vs. Iraq: Ørjan Håskjold Nyland; Julian Ryerson, Kristoffer Ajer, Torbjorn Heggem, David Møller Wolfe; Oscar Bobb, Sander Berge, Martin Ødegaard, Antonio Nusa; Erling Haaland, Alexander Sørloth.

Match prediction: Iraq 1-3 Norway.