Erling Haaland scored twice on his World Cup debut as Norway thrashed Iraq 4-1 in Boston – a performance that has whetted fans' appetites for a potential showdown with Kylian Mbappe.
Norway, appearing in the tournament for the first time in 28 years, took the lead after 29 minutes when Sander Berge played David Moller Wolfe in on the left of the penalty area and his low cross was turned in at the back post by Haaland. The Manchester City striker almost turned provider moments later, latching on to Antonio Nusa’s fine pass and feeding Alexander Sorloth, whose shot was well blocked, with Martin Odegaard firing wide as Norway continued to dominate.
“Erling Haaland scores twice on World Cup debut as Norway beat Iraq, setting up potential Mbappe showdown.”
Iraq dealt a sucker-punch on the counter attack after 39 minutes. Ali Jasim played a clever reverse pass to Amir Al-Ammari and from his cross, Aymen Hussein planted a header low into the bottom corner. It was a brilliant moment for the striker, who endured almost seven hours of questioning by US authorities on his arrival at O’Hare airport last week, and sparked wild celebrations.
But Iraq were level for just four minutes as goalkeeper Jalal Hassan failed to deal with a weak back pass and only succeeded in launching his clearance against Haaland, with the ball ricocheting into the net. Norway then dominated the second half, with Leo Ostigard rising highest to head in an Odegaard corner after 76 minutes. A stoppage-time fourth saw Haaland head the ball across the face of goal for Kristian Thorstvedt, but the goal went down as a Hussein own goal as he attempted to keep it out of his own net.
The result leaves Norway top of Group I, which also contains 2022 runners-up France and Senegal. France earlier beat Senegal 3-1, with Kylian Mbappe scoring twice – becoming France’s all-time leading goalscorer in the process. The 27-year-old is the Golden Boot winner from 2022 and one of only three players at this tournament, alongside England’s Harry Kane and Colombia’s James Rodriguez, to have a special patch commemorating the achievement.
Now fans are licking their lips at the prospect of Haaland and Mbappe meeting in the final Group I game on June 26 at Boston Stadium. “Haaland vs Mbappe this World Cup then!” wrote one supporter on social media. Another added: “Mbappe and Haaland going Aura for Aura.” A third said: “Those Mbappe vs Haaland goat debates may be back.”
For now, both strikers have made their mark. Haaland’s first goal was vintage – powering past his marker to tap in at the far post – while his second saw him close down Hassan to block the clearance into the net. The 25-year-old scored 38 goals in all competitions last season for Manchester City, while Real Madrid’s Mbappe netted 42, including 15 in the Champions League. The stage is set for a mouthwatering clash.