Erling Haaland’s two first-half goals guided Norway to a 4-1 win over Iraq, giving Norway a powerful return to the World Cup after a 28-year absence and instantly placing the Manchester City striker at the centre of the tournament storylines.

Haaland became the first Norway player to score more than once in a single World Cup match, and Norway also passed three goals in a World Cup or Euros game for the first time, having failed to do so in 12 previous attempts at major tournaments.

Stale Solbakken highlighted how Haaland handled the spotlight, stressing that the forward looked comfortable from the start as Norway began Group I with three points and a strong goal difference in a section that also features Senegal and France.

Norway’s head coach said Haaland’s level did not surprise the staff after the final training session, which Solbakken felt showed a sharp side ready for Iraq’s defence, and that mood carried into the tie as Haaland struck twice before half-time to take control of the contest.

Asked about Haaland’s impact after Tuesday’s win, Solbakken said: “You can see he lived up to the occasion, it wasn’t too big for him. I had a good feeling before the game, the last training session was very good. I had a feeling he would do it for us today.”

Haaland has scored in each of Norway’s last 11 competitive internationals and has found the net at least once in 17 of the previous 20 such matches, hitting multiple goals in the last five of those, after recording 16 goals during the World Cup qualifying campaign.

That run means Haaland has already drawn level with Kjetil Rekdal as Norway’s all-time World Cup top scorer, and more chances await, with Norway now preparing to meet Senegal and then France, knowing further goals could move Haaland clear in the national record books.

His scoring streak for Norway was captured by Opta’s data team, who underlined how frequently Haaland delivers in competitive games for the national side against varied opposition and in different conditions, adding another layer of context to this dominant display.

Despite the impact on the international stage, Haaland has been outscored for clubs in the 2025-26 season by Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane and Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe, a detail Haaland himself mentioned as the forward was asked whether this form makes Haaland the world’s leading striker.

Haaland told reporters: “I would say I’m up there, but I don’t think I scored the most goals this season, so statistically no. Kane and Mbappe scored more goals than me, and that’s the reality. It’s about continuing and not thinking too much. It’s difficult at this stage. But I’ll focus on the next game and of course be happy. But also, I’ll stay calm.”

Iraq head coach Graham Arnold praised Haaland’s display and predicted Norway could progress deep into the tournament, suggesting the blend of Haaland’s finishing with the wider squad quality gives Group I opponents real problems in the coming fixtures.

Arnold said of Haaland: “He’s just an amazing number nine, Arnold said of Haaland. We dealt with him quite well for a lot of the game, but at the end of the day, he’s a top striker. I just said to him [at full-time], ‘You’re one of the best number nines I’ve ever seen.’ He’s so strong, so quick and he’s just lethal. Norway could shock a lot of people with the team they have. They could go a very long way.”

Haaland’s numbers underline why defences are concerned about Norway, and the match against Iraq also shifted Norway’s record at major events, adding confidence before meetings with Senegal and France while reinforcing Solbakken’s belief that Norway’s main striker is ready for the biggest stages.