FRA 18.5%
ESP 13.3%
ARG 11.6%
ENG 10.5%
POR 10.1%
Iraq 1-4 Norway in Group I: Erling Haaland's first-half double and late goals hand Norway control of the group as Iraq's qualification hopes wobble.
What does Norway 4-1 do to the Group I table?
Norway opened Group I with a 4-1 win over Iraq, and the headline for the standings is simple: maximum points and a healthy goal difference banked in a single afternoon. On this result Norway move to the top of the group with three points and a +3 swing, the strongest possible start before the rest of the section is settled.
For Iraq the table reads the other way. A defeat leaves them on zero points and a -3 goal difference, the early basement of Group I until the other fixtures are played out. In a four-team group where two automatic qualifying places and a possible best-third-placed berth are on the line, conceding four in match one is the kind of result that shapes the maths for the fortnight to come.
The other two Group I sides will look at this scoreline knowing the early initiative is Norway's to lose. Pre-match, Norway carried the higher title odds (2% against Iraq's 0.1%) and a superior ranking (FIFA #31 to #57), so the win itself was the expected outcome; the margin is what now tilts the permutations.
Ad
How did Norway take control before half-time?
Norway's grip on the group was built in the first half. Erling Haaland struck on 29 minutes, a left-footed finish from very close range to the top right corner after David Møller Wolfe's cross, to give Norway the lead and the early advantage in the goal-difference column.
Iraq's response was immediate and, for their own permutations, important: Aymen Hussein headed in from the centre of the box on 39 minutes, assisted by an Amir Al-Ammari cross, to level at 1-1 and briefly keep their points target within reach. The parity lasted four minutes. Haaland scored again on 43 with a right-footed finish into the centre of the goal, and Norway took a 2-1 lead into the interval.
That half-time scoreline mattered beyond the result. Leading rather than level meant Norway controlled the tempo of the second half and could chase further goals on their own terms, which is exactly how a group lead is turned into a goal-difference cushion.
Why did the final margin matter for tie-breaks?
The two late goals are where this game stopped being a routine win and became a statement for the group's tie-break order. Leo Østigård headed in from very close range on 76 minutes, assisted by a Martin Ødegaard cross following a corner, to make it 3-1 and push Norway's goal difference to +2 on the night.
The scoring was completed deep into stoppage time, when Aymen Hussein turned the ball into his own net at 90'+6' to make it 4-1. From Iraq's perspective it was a cruel bookend to an afternoon in which he had also scored their goal; from Norway's, it was a fourth goal that lifts their group goal difference to +3.
If Group I comes down to fine margins, and four-team groups frequently do, goal difference and goals scored are the first levers after points. Norway have already given themselves a head start on both, while Iraq must now climb out of a -3 hole as well as collect points.
What does Iraq now need to stay alive?
Iraq's qualification path is still open after one round, but it is steeper. With zero points and a -3 goal difference, they realistically need to win at least one of their remaining Group I games and avoid further heavy defeats to keep a top-two or best-third-placed route in play.
There were moments to build on. Aymen Hussein's header showed Iraq can hurt sides from crosses, and goalkeeper Jalal Hassan twice denied Haaland from close range, at 43 minutes and again at 83, keeping the deficit from growing earlier than it did. Iraq's changes through the second half, including Zidane Iqbal, Marko Farji, Mustafa Saadoon, Ahmed Qasim and Mohanad Ali, point to a side that will need fresh legs and goals from their next outing.
The practical message for Iraq is that their fate is no longer entirely in their own hands on goal difference, but their points tally still is. Win their next match and the permutations reopen quickly; lose it and the margin from this defeat starts to look decisive.
What do Norway need to finish the job?
Norway are in the strongest position the opening round could offer, but three points from match one guarantees nothing. To convert this start into qualification they will want results from their remaining Group I fixtures that protect the goal difference they have just built.
The encouraging signs run deeper than the scoreline. Haaland's double and Østigård's set-piece header show varied scoring threats, and Norway were able to empty their bench, with Oscar Bobb, Kristian Thorstvedt, Andreas Schjelderup and Patrick Berg among the changes, while still adding to the lead. That depth matters across a group stage where freshness can decide late goals like the ones Norway scored here.
From a permutations standpoint, Norway's task is now about control: match or better their rivals' results and the goal difference cushion does the rest. The only blemish was Aymen Hussein's 39-minute equaliser, a reminder that even a 4-1 win started as a contest before Norway pulled clear.
Frequently asked
What was the final score of Iraq vs Norway?
Norway won 4-1 against Iraq in their Group I match on 16 June 2026, having led 2-1 at half-time.
Who scored in Iraq 1-4 Norway?
Erling Haaland scored twice (29' and 43'), Leo Østigård added a header at 76', and an Aymen Hussein own goal at 90'+6' made it 4-1; Aymen Hussein had earlier scored Iraq's only goal at 39'.
What does the result mean for the Group I table?
Norway sit top of Group I on this evidence with three points and a +3 goal difference, while Iraq are bottom on zero points with a -3 goal difference after one round.
How does this affect Iraq's chances of progressing?
Iraq now need points from their remaining Group I fixtures and favourable results elsewhere, and the heavy margin leaves them with goal difference to repair as well.
