Overview
- Norway beat Iraq 4-1 at Boston Stadium on Tuesday night, moving to the top of Group I on goal difference.
- Erling Haaland scored twice in the first half for his first World Cup goals, and Leo Østigård added a header before a late Iraqi own goal finished the scoring.
- The match drew more than 63,000 fans and featured large Norwegian and Iraqi diasporas mingling in a festive stadium atmosphere.
- Local outlet GBH News says FIFA denied its press credential request for Boston, so reporters attended as paying spectators to cover the game from the stands.
- The result highlights return and debut storylines at the expanded 48-team tournament—Norway’s first World Cup since 1998 and Iraq’s first since 1986—and comes as organizers face wider logistical strains such as visa denials and ticketing probes.