FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Erling Haaland scored his first World Cup goal just 29 minutes into his competition debut against Iraq this Tuesday. By the end of the match, he had netted twice in a dominant 4-1 win, confirming his reputation as one of the tournament’s standout players.
At 25 years of age, Haaland has emerged as one of the globe’s premier strikers since his rise to stardom in 2019, though he had to wait until now to participate in a World Cup, as Norway had not qualified since 1998.
When asked if he considers himself the best goalscorer in the world post-match, a modest Haaland stated he believes he’s part of the conversation.
“I would say I’m up there,” Haaland explained. “Stats-wise, I haven’t scored the most goals this season; Harry Kane and [Kylian] Mbappé outperformed me there, and that’s the reality.”
Haaland expressed determination to meet the expectations set by his impressive performance as he seeks to lead Norway past the group stage.
“I’ll certainly try,” he said. “It’s about moving forward and not overthinking things. At this stage, it can be challenging, but I will focus on the next match and, of course, enjoy the moment while staying composed.”
In an interview prior to the tournament with ESPN, Haaland had mentioned feeling like something was “missing” for most of his career, even after achieving multiple major titles with Manchester City.
“I felt it was missing in 2022 in Qatar and during the Euros in 2024. Now it has finally happened, and it was about time,” he remarked.
On Tuesday, he quickly made up for lost time.
His first goal arrived shortly after the hydration break when he finished a low cross from David Møller Wolfe.
Iraq managed a brief equalizer thanks to a well-placed header from Aymen Hussein, but Haaland soon capitalized on a misstep by Iraq’s goalkeeper Jalal Hassan, who misplayed the ball while attempting to clear it, allowing Haaland to intercept and tap it into an empty net.
Kristian Thorstvedt capped the scoring with a goal right before the final whistle, with Haaland earning an assist.
The impressive debut did not surprise Norway’s coach Stale Solbakken, who sensed that Haaland was poised for this moment after observing his performance in the final training session before the match.
“He was ready for the occasion,” Solbakken noted. “The moment wasn’t too big for him.”
Haaland has now equaled Norway’s record for most goals in World Cup history, previously held by midfielder Kjetil Rekdal. Tuesday’s goals marked the 56th and 57th of his international career, further extending his record as Norway’s all-time leading scorer.
He will have at least two more opportunities to increase his tally in Norway’s upcoming group matches, with a game against Senegal scheduled in New Jersey on June 22, followed by a return to Foxborough to face France on June 26.
Despite only being Iraq’s second World Cup appearance since their debut in 1986, they put forth a strong showing, supported by a passionate contingent of fans concentrated behind one of the goals.
Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.