Norway and Iraq played their 2026 FIFA World Cup Group I opener at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts on Tuesday evening, the second of four matches on Day 7 of the tournament. The kickoff was set for 6 p.m. Eastern time, slotting the match between France versus Senegal earlier in the afternoon and Argentina’s headline clash with Algeria in the night slot.
Norway arrived as the stronger side on paper, led by Erling Haaland, the Manchester City striker who finished as the Premier League’s top scorer for the third consecutive season in 2025-26. Haaland has scored 32 goals for his country in 58 international appearances and comes into the tournament in the best form of his career. Norway qualified from the European section without losing a single qualifying match.
Iraq qualified through the Asian Football Confederation pathway and are making only their fourth World Cup appearance in their history. Their last tournament was in 1986. The Iraqi squad is built largely from players competing in the Saudi Pro League and domestically in Iraq, with a handful of Europe-based players who have come through diaspora eligibility routes in countries like Sweden and Denmark.
Group I is tightly contested. France, who faced Senegal earlier in the day, enter as the group’s heavyweight. Norway’s task is to finish second and secure a round-of-16 berth, while Iraq’s more modest ambition is to collect at least one point across the group stage. A draw against Norway would be a significant result for Iraqi football.
Gillette Stadium, the home of the NFL’s New England Patriots and MLS‘s New England Revolution, has been fitted out for the World Cup with temporary seating expansions taking capacity to around 65,000. The Boston area’s large Nordic diaspora and sizeable Iraqi-American community across the New England states both showed up in force, creating an unexpectedly divided atmosphere in the stands.
Norway’s coach Ståle Solbakken named a full-strength lineup, keeping Haaland in a central role flanked by Martin Ødegaard, the Arsenal captain, who controls the midfield and supply lines. Iraq coach Radhi Shenaishil set up in a compact 5-4-1 shape designed to make space tight and force Norway’s attackers wide.
The result of this match has significant implications for Group I’s final standings. If Norway win comfortably, they become the de facto favourites to accompany France into the round of 16. Iraq’s task would then become securing a point in at least one remaining group fixture. The complete 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage schedule and live scores are on FIFA’s website.
