{"id":15867,"date":"2026-06-18T23:32:54","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T18:02:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/?p=15867"},"modified":"2026-06-18T23:47:11","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T18:17:11","slug":"norway-4-1-iraq-haaland-announces-himself-on-the-fifaworld-cup-2026-stage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/norway-4-1-iraq-haaland-announces-himself-on-the-fifaworld-cup-2026-stage\/","title":{"rendered":"Norway 4\u20131 Iraq: Haaland Announces Himself on the FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122 Stage"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"bsf_rt_marker\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He had waited his whole career for this. At club level, Erling Haaland is the most feared striker on the planet. But today he scored his first goal at the FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122. Haaland scored twice in a 4\u20131 demolition of Iraq that was comfortable in the end, dramatic in the middle, and entirely dominated by Norway&#8217;s number nine.<\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_86 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-black ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Page Contents:<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #282fff;color:#282fff\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #282fff;color:#282fff\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/norway-4-1-iraq-haaland-announces-himself-on-the-fifaworld-cup-2026-stage\/#Haaland_Opens_the_Account_29%E2%80%B2\" >Haaland Opens the Account (29&#8242;)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/norway-4-1-iraq-haaland-announces-himself-on-the-fifaworld-cup-2026-stage\/#Iraq_Hits_Back_%E2%80%94_Hussein_Levels_39%E2%80%B2\" >Iraq Hits Back \u2014 Hussein Levels (39&#8242;)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/norway-4-1-iraq-haaland-announces-himself-on-the-fifaworld-cup-2026-stage\/#Haalands_Second_%E2%80%94_A_Gift_from_Iraq_43%E2%80%B2\" >Haaland&#8217;s Second \u2014 A Gift from Iraq (43&#8242;)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/norway-4-1-iraq-haaland-announces-himself-on-the-fifaworld-cup-2026-stage\/#Ostigard_Ends_the_Contest_76%E2%80%B2\" >\u00d8stig\u00e5rd Ends the Contest (76&#8242;)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/norway-4-1-iraq-haaland-announces-himself-on-the-fifaworld-cup-2026-stage\/#Husseins_Own_Goal_Completes_the_Rout_906%E2%80%B2\" >Hussein&#8217;s Own Goal Completes the Rout (90+6&#8242;)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/norway-4-1-iraq-haaland-announces-himself-on-the-fifaworld-cup-2026-stage\/#What_This_Means\" >What This Means<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Group I now looks increasingly like a two-horse race between Norway and France. Iraq, despite a brief and spirited leveller, were outclassed for long stretches of the match. Norway are three points up and already looking like the kind of side that could cause problems deep into this tournament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>Watch Norway&#8217;s <\/em><\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/sports\/football\/fifa-world-cup\/2026\"><strong><em>FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122<\/em><\/strong><\/a><strong><em> campaign live in India on ZEE5. Get the ZEE5 Quarterly Plan at \u20b9799 or Annual Plan at \u20b91,699 \u2014 every match, live and on demand.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Haaland_Opens_the_Account_29%E2%80%B2\"><\/span><strong>Haaland Opens the Account (29&#8242;)<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/sports\/football\/fifa-world-cup\/2026\/0-6-4z5974253\/0-2-5z5974716\/teams\/norway\/norway-squad\">Norway<\/a> were patient in the opening half hour. They moved the ball calmly, probed for openings, and gradually drew Iraq&#8217;s defensive shape into uncomfortable territory. The breakthrough arrived through fourteen passes \u2014 a composed, methodical team move that ended with David M\u00f8ller Wolfe blazing down the left flank and drilling a low cross into the six-yard box. Haaland arrived at pace, slid in at the back post, and poked the ball past goalkeeper Jalal Hassan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">World Cup debut. World Cup goal. Haaland barely celebrated \u2014 there was a sense that he expected nothing less.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Iraq_Hits_Back_%E2%80%94_Hussein_Levels_39%E2%80%B2\"><\/span><strong>Iraq Hits Back \u2014 Hussein Levels (39&#8242;)<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/sports\/football\/fifa-world-cup\/2026\/0-6-4z5974253\/0-2-5z5974716\/teams\/iraq\/iraq-squad\">Iraq<\/a> refused to fold. Ten minutes after going behind, they drew level through a move of genuine quality. Martin \u00d8degaard, uncharacteristically, gave the ball away deep in his own half. Iraq punished him immediately. Amir Al Ammari picked up possession on the left wing and delivered a chipped cross of near-perfect weight and trajectory. Aymen Hussein, the veteran Iraqi forward, rose above the Norwegian defence and hammered a header into the net. 1\u20131.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For a few minutes, Iraq believed. At the Boston Stadium, the away supporters made noise. The scoreline was level. The match was genuinely open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Haalands_Second_%E2%80%94_A_Gift_from_Iraq_43%E2%80%B2\"><\/span><strong>Haaland&#8217;s Second \u2014 A Gift from Iraq (43&#8242;)<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It lasted four minutes. Iraqi defender Zaid Tahseen, under pressure near his own penalty area, played a weak backpass that left goalkeeper Hassan with no room. Hassan&#8217;s rushed clearance cannoned directly off Haaland&#8217;s chest and ricocheted into the net. The cleanest of own goals \u2014 yet technically, and cruelly, it went down as Haaland&#8217;s second of the match.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Norway went into halftime 2\u20131 up, with Haaland having scored twice without ever really needing to work for the second. Iraq had their goal, their moment of belief, but a defensive error had gifted Norway the advantage back within minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Ostigard_Ends_the_Contest_76%E2%80%B2\"><\/span><strong>\u00d8stig\u00e5rd Ends the Contest (76&#8242;)<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The second half was a quieter affair. Norway controlled possession and Iraq struggled to replicate the urgency of their first-half leveller. The third goal arrived in the 76th minute, and it was a set-piece of complete simplicity. Martin \u00d8degaard \u2014 redeeming himself entirely after his first-half error \u2014 delivered an inswinging corner from the right. Leo \u00d8stig\u00e5rd, unmarked and free at the back post, got above the Iraqi defence with a towering leap and planted a powerful header past Hassan. He had been on the pitch for barely three and a half minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At 3\u20131, the match was settled. Iraq could not produce the sustained pressure needed to claw back two goals against a Norwegian side that was now managing the game confidently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Husseins_Own_Goal_Completes_the_Rout_906%E2%80%B2\"><\/span><strong>Hussein&#8217;s Own Goal Completes the Rout (90+6&#8242;)<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The final act was more chaos than craft. Deep into stoppage time, a header across the box found Kristian Thorstvedt challenging for the ball near the goal line. Hassan and Iraqi defender Akam Hashim became completely entangled. In the confusion, the ball crossed the line. The goal was credited to Aymen Hussein as an own goal, as the ball deflected off him while he was retreating. He is the same player who had scored Iraq&#8217;s equaliser in the first half.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Norway 4\u20131 Iraq. The scoreline was emphatic and, on balance, fair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_This_Means\"><\/span><strong>What This Means<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Norway move to the top of Group I alongside France, both on three points. Their second match is against Senegal on June 22 IST. Iraq, now bottom of the group without a point, face France in their next outing \u2014 a match they will need to treat as a must-win or near-must-win to keep their qualification hopes alive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Haaland, the only conversation is about how many he will end up with at this tournament. Two goals on debut at a FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122 is a statement. The question now is whether he can back it up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>Don&#8217;t miss Norway&#8217;s next match and all the FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122 action from Group I \u2014 stream every game live on <\/em><\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/myaccount\/subscription?plan-ref=0-11-7467&amp;asset-ref=0-6-4z5914493&amp;visibility=SELECTED&amp;context=FIFA\"><strong><em>ZEE5 FIFA Subscription<\/em><\/strong><\/a><strong><em> in India.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Disclaimer: Subscription pack prices are subject to change from time to time. Please visit the subscription page for the most up-to-date pricing information.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>He had waited his whole career for this. At club level, Erling Haaland is the most feared striker on the planet. But today he scored his first goal at the FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122. Haaland scored twice in a 4\u20131 demolition of Iraq that was comfortable in the end, dramatic in the middle, and entirely [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":15163,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3019],"tags":[3031,3122,3215],"class_list":["post-15867","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fifa-world-cup-2026","tag-fifa-world-cup-2026","tag-group-i","tag-norway-vs-iraq-match-report"],"acf":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1132x400.png","author_info":{"display_name":"Sourav K","author_link":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/author\/sourav-k\/"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Norway 4\u20131 Iraq: Haaland Announces Himself on the FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122 Stage - ZEE5 Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Erling Haaland scored twice on his FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122 debut as Norway crushed Iraq 4-1 to take control of Group I.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/norway-4-1-iraq-haaland-announces-himself-on-the-fifaworld-cup-2026-stage\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Norway 4\u20131 Iraq: Haaland Announces Himself on the FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122 Stage - ZEE5 Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Erling Haaland scored twice on his FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122 debut as Norway crushed Iraq 4-1 to take control of Group I.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/norway-4-1-iraq-haaland-announces-himself-on-the-fifaworld-cup-2026-stage\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"ZEE5 Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ZEE5India\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-06-18T18:02:54+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-06-18T18:17:11+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1132x400.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1132\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Sourav K\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@Zee5\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Zee5\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Sourav K\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zee5.com\\\/global\\\/blog\\\/norway-4-1-iraq-haaland-announces-himself-on-the-fifaworld-cup-2026-stage\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zee5.com\\\/global\\\/blog\\\/norway-4-1-iraq-haaland-announces-himself-on-the-fifaworld-cup-2026-stage\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Sourav K\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zee5.com\\\/global\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/b7f51287e926eac1996d50ea278b7033\"},\"headline\":\"Norway 4\u20131 Iraq: Haaland Announces Himself on the FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122 Stage\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-18T18:02:54+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-06-18T18:17:11+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zee5.com\\\/global\\\/blog\\\/norway-4-1-iraq-haaland-announces-himself-on-the-fifaworld-cup-2026-stage\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":825,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zee5.com\\\/global\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zee5.com\\\/global\\\/blog\\\/norway-4-1-iraq-haaland-announces-himself-on-the-fifaworld-cup-2026-stage\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zee5.com\\\/global\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/1132x400.png\",\"keywords\":[\"FIFA World cup 2026\",\"Group I\",\"Norway vs Iraq: Match Report\"],\"articleSection\":[\"FIFA World Cup 2026\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zee5.com\\\/global\\\/blog\\\/norway-4-1-iraq-haaland-announces-himself-on-the-fifaworld-cup-2026-stage\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zee5.com\\\/global\\\/blog\\\/norway-4-1-iraq-haaland-announces-himself-on-the-fifaworld-cup-2026-stage\\\/\",\"name\":\"Norway 4\u20131 Iraq: Haaland Announces Himself on the FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122 Stage - ZEE5 Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zee5.com\\\/global\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zee5.com\\\/global\\\/blog\\\/norway-4-1-iraq-haaland-announces-himself-on-the-fifaworld-cup-2026-stage\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zee5.com\\\/global\\\/blog\\\/norway-4-1-iraq-haaland-announces-himself-on-the-fifaworld-cup-2026-stage\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zee5.com\\\/global\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/1132x400.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-18T18:02:54+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-06-18T18:17:11+00:00\",\"description\":\"Erling Haaland scored twice on his FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122 debut as Norway crushed Iraq 4-1 to take control of Group I.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zee5.com\\\/global\\\/blog\\\/norway-4-1-iraq-haaland-announces-himself-on-the-fifaworld-cup-2026-stage\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zee5.com\\\/global\\\/blog\\\/norway-4-1-iraq-haaland-announces-himself-on-the-fifaworld-cup-2026-stage\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zee5.com\\\/global\\\/blog\\\/norway-4-1-iraq-haaland-announces-himself-on-the-fifaworld-cup-2026-stage\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zee5.com\\\/global\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/1132x400.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zee5.com\\\/global\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/1132x400.png\",\"width\":1132,\"height\":400,\"caption\":\"FIFA World Cup 2026 All Access Pack for \u20b9399\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zee5.com\\\/global\\\/blog\\\/norway-4-1-iraq-haaland-announces-himself-on-the-fifaworld-cup-2026-stage\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zee5.com\\\/global\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"FIFA World Cup 2026\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zee5.com\\\/global\\\/blog\\\/category\\\/fifa-world-cup-2026\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Norway 4\u20131 Iraq: Haaland Announces Himself on the FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122 Stage\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zee5.com\\\/global\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zee5.com\\\/global\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"ZEE5 Blog\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zee5.com\\\/global\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zee5.com\\\/global\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zee5.com\\\/global\\\/blog\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Zee 5\",\"alternateName\":\"Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zee5.com\\\/global\\\/blog\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zee5.com\\\/global\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zee5.com\\\/global\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/Appicon_Z5Global_512x512.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zee5.com\\\/global\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/Appicon_Z5Global_512x512.png\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"Zee 5\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zee5.com\\\/global\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/ZEE5India\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/Zee5\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/channel\\\/UCXOgAl4w-FQero1ERbGHpXQ\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zee5.com\\\/global\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/b7f51287e926eac1996d50ea278b7033\",\"name\":\"Sourav K\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/6e67504e85eace1cfa60dcd37f6d3ebfe062cd8f24a419171fff86280ffae669?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/6e67504e85eace1cfa60dcd37f6d3ebfe062cd8f24a419171fff86280ffae669?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/6e67504e85eace1cfa60dcd37f6d3ebfe062cd8f24a419171fff86280ffae669?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Sourav K\"},\"description\":\"With over 10 years of experience in sports journalism, Sourav is a passionate football writer who has been closely following the game since the 2002 FIFA World Cup. What began as a childhood fascination with football has evolved into a lifelong commitment to understanding and analysing the sport at every level. As both an ardent fan and a former football player, Sourav brings a unique perspective to his writing. He blends firsthand playing experience with in-depth statistical analysis. Having witnessed the rise and fall of footballing dynasties across multiple FIFA World Cups, UEFA Champions League campaigns, Premier League seasons, and international tournaments, he offers readers insightful, balanced, and engaging coverage of the beautiful game. His work is driven by a desire to make football analysis accessible to everyone, right from casual followers looking to stay informed to passionate supporters seeking deeper tactical insights.\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zee5.com\\\/global\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/sourav-k\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Norway 4\u20131 Iraq: Haaland Announces Himself on the FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122 Stage - ZEE5 Blog","description":"Erling Haaland scored twice on his FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122 debut as Norway crushed Iraq 4-1 to take control of Group I.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/norway-4-1-iraq-haaland-announces-himself-on-the-fifaworld-cup-2026-stage\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Norway 4\u20131 Iraq: Haaland Announces Himself on the FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122 Stage - ZEE5 Blog","og_description":"Erling Haaland scored twice on his FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122 debut as Norway crushed Iraq 4-1 to take control of Group I.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/norway-4-1-iraq-haaland-announces-himself-on-the-fifaworld-cup-2026-stage\/","og_site_name":"ZEE5 Blog","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ZEE5India\/","article_published_time":"2026-06-18T18:02:54+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-06-18T18:17:11+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1132,"height":400,"url":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1132x400.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Sourav K","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@Zee5","twitter_site":"@Zee5","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Sourav K","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/norway-4-1-iraq-haaland-announces-himself-on-the-fifaworld-cup-2026-stage\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/norway-4-1-iraq-haaland-announces-himself-on-the-fifaworld-cup-2026-stage\/"},"author":{"name":"Sourav K","@id":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/b7f51287e926eac1996d50ea278b7033"},"headline":"Norway 4\u20131 Iraq: Haaland Announces Himself on the FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122 Stage","datePublished":"2026-06-18T18:02:54+00:00","dateModified":"2026-06-18T18:17:11+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/norway-4-1-iraq-haaland-announces-himself-on-the-fifaworld-cup-2026-stage\/"},"wordCount":825,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/norway-4-1-iraq-haaland-announces-himself-on-the-fifaworld-cup-2026-stage\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1132x400.png","keywords":["FIFA World cup 2026","Group I","Norway vs Iraq: Match Report"],"articleSection":["FIFA World Cup 2026"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/norway-4-1-iraq-haaland-announces-himself-on-the-fifaworld-cup-2026-stage\/","url":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/norway-4-1-iraq-haaland-announces-himself-on-the-fifaworld-cup-2026-stage\/","name":"Norway 4\u20131 Iraq: Haaland Announces Himself on the FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122 Stage - ZEE5 Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/norway-4-1-iraq-haaland-announces-himself-on-the-fifaworld-cup-2026-stage\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/norway-4-1-iraq-haaland-announces-himself-on-the-fifaworld-cup-2026-stage\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1132x400.png","datePublished":"2026-06-18T18:02:54+00:00","dateModified":"2026-06-18T18:17:11+00:00","description":"Erling Haaland scored twice on his FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122 debut as Norway crushed Iraq 4-1 to take control of Group I.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/norway-4-1-iraq-haaland-announces-himself-on-the-fifaworld-cup-2026-stage\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/norway-4-1-iraq-haaland-announces-himself-on-the-fifaworld-cup-2026-stage\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/norway-4-1-iraq-haaland-announces-himself-on-the-fifaworld-cup-2026-stage\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1132x400.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1132x400.png","width":1132,"height":400,"caption":"FIFA World Cup 2026 All Access Pack for \u20b9399"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/norway-4-1-iraq-haaland-announces-himself-on-the-fifaworld-cup-2026-stage\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"FIFA World Cup 2026","item":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/category\/fifa-world-cup-2026\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Norway 4\u20131 Iraq: Haaland Announces Himself on the FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122 Stage"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/","name":"ZEE5 Blog","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/#organization","name":"Zee 5","alternateName":"Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited","url":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Appicon_Z5Global_512x512.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Appicon_Z5Global_512x512.png","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"Zee 5"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ZEE5India\/","https:\/\/x.com\/Zee5","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCXOgAl4w-FQero1ERbGHpXQ"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/b7f51287e926eac1996d50ea278b7033","name":"Sourav K","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6e67504e85eace1cfa60dcd37f6d3ebfe062cd8f24a419171fff86280ffae669?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6e67504e85eace1cfa60dcd37f6d3ebfe062cd8f24a419171fff86280ffae669?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6e67504e85eace1cfa60dcd37f6d3ebfe062cd8f24a419171fff86280ffae669?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Sourav K"},"description":"With over 10 years of experience in sports journalism, Sourav is a passionate football writer who has been closely following the game since the 2002 FIFA World Cup. What began as a childhood fascination with football has evolved into a lifelong commitment to understanding and analysing the sport at every level. As both an ardent fan and a former football player, Sourav brings a unique perspective to his writing. He blends firsthand playing experience with in-depth statistical analysis. Having witnessed the rise and fall of footballing dynasties across multiple FIFA World Cups, UEFA Champions League campaigns, Premier League seasons, and international tournaments, he offers readers insightful, balanced, and engaging coverage of the beautiful game. His work is driven by a desire to make football analysis accessible to everyone, right from casual followers looking to stay informed to passionate supporters seeking deeper tactical insights.","url":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/author\/sourav-k\/"}]}},"blog_post_layout_featured_media_urls":{"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1132x400.png",150,53,false],"full":["https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1132x400.png",1132,400,false]},"categories_names":{"3019":{"name":"FIFA World Cup 2026","link":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/category\/fifa-world-cup-2026\/"}},"tags_names":{"3031":{"name":"FIFA World cup 2026","link":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/tag\/fifa-world-cup-2026\/"},"3122":{"name":"Group I","link":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/tag\/group-i\/"},"3215":{"name":"Norway vs Iraq: Match Report","link":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/tag\/norway-vs-iraq-match-report\/"}},"comments_number":"0","wpmagazine_modules_lite_featured_media_urls":{"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1132x400.png",150,53,false],"cvmm-medium":["https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1132x400.png",300,106,false],"cvmm-medium-plus":["https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1132x400.png",305,108,false],"cvmm-portrait":["https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1132x400.png",400,141,false],"cvmm-medium-square":["https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1132x400.png",600,212,false],"cvmm-large":["https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1132x400.png",1024,362,false],"cvmm-small":["https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1132x400.png",130,46,false],"full":["https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1132x400.png",1132,400,false]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15867","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15867"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15867\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15870,"href":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15867\/revisions\/15870"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15163"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15867"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15867"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15867"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}