Iraq loses 4-1 to Norway in Cup debut, coach optimistic

Iraq's return to the FIFA World Cup after a 40-year absence began with a 4-1 defeat to Norway in Boston on Tuesday, June 16, 2026. Despite the loss, head coach Graham Arnold urged his team to remain focused on their goal of advancing from Group I.

Norwegian star Erling Haaland opened the scoring in the 29th minute, marking his first World Cup goal. Iraq's Aymen Hussein equalized in the 38th minute, heading in a cross from Amir Alammari to briefly level the score. Haaland restored Norway's lead just before halftime, capitalizing on a weak back pass to Iraqi goalkeeper Jalal Hassan. Leo Ostigard added a third goal in the 76th minute, and a late own goal by Hussein completed the scoring.

Arnold, who is the first Australian to coach two different nations at the men's World Cup, said he was encouraged by his team's performance but acknowledged that mistakes were costly. He identified the error leading to Norway's second goal as a particular turning point that affected the players mentally. Arnold emphasized the need to learn from the match and prepare for their next fixture against France.

Despite the opening defeat, Arnold stressed that Iraq remains in contention for a knockout round...