Iraq vs Norway: Two Long-Awaited Returns Meet in Group I

Predictions

The experts and we all lean the same way: Norway are favorites, and Haaland is the man to watch.

• Our prediction: Norway win 3-1, with Haaland scoring.
• Opta supercomputer: Norway are big favorites, around a 77% chance to win.
• SportsLine (Jon Eimer): a high-scoring game, with Haaland expected to get on the scoresheet.
• FOX Sports: Norway to win comfortably.

Two teams football has missed

Some games are only about the points.

This one is about two countries finally coming home.

Iraq are back at the World Cup for the first time since 1986, a wait of 40 years.

Norway are back for the first time since 1998, a wait of 28 years.

For two sets of fans who grew up hearing what they were missing, just walking out for this one already means a lot.

Haaland's first big stage

For years there has been one strange gap on Erling Haaland's record.

He scores almost everywhere he plays, but he had never been to a major tournament.

That ends here, and the wait may have made him hungrier.

He scored 16 goals in qualifying, more than twice as many as any other player in Europe.

Around him, Norway have captain Martin Odegaard pulling the strings and Alexander Sorloth giving them a second real threat up front.

Under coach Stale Solbakken, this is a team built to score, and the warm-ups showed it with a 3-1 win over Sweden, a 1-1 draw with Morocco, a 0-0 draw with Switzerland and a narrow 1-2 loss to the Netherlands.

Iraq did not come to make up the numbers

Iraq did not come all this way to make up the numbers.

They held Spain, one of the best teams in the world, to a 1-1 draw in the warm-ups.

They also beat Bolivia 2-1, with only a 0-2 loss to Venezuela to balance the books.

Coach Graham Arnold knows this stage well, having led Australia at the last World Cup.

His main men are Ali Al-Hamadi of Luton Town, Ahmed Qasem of Nashville SC and forward Mohanad Ali.

They are ranked 58th and their best ever run is the group stage, so reaching the knockouts would be brand new ground for them.

What is at stake?

Group I also has France and Senegal, and France are the clear favorites to top it.

That leaves Iraq and Norway fighting over the spots behind them.

The top 2 teams, plus the 8 best third-placed teams across all groups, reach the round of 32 (the knockout stage where losing means going home).

So this is a game both sides feel they need to win to keep their dream alive.

Norway will want a fast, clean win to settle the nerves, while Iraq will fancy their chances of another upset after that Spain result.

Where and when can you watch?

The game is on Tuesday June 16 2026 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, near Boston.

Kickoff is 18:00 (6:00 PM) New York time.

Still hunting a seat? Check our World Cup tickets guide.

Check your local World Cup broadcaster for the channel where you live.