Iraq vs Norway Player Ratings

Iraq 1-4 Norway Player Ratings: Erling Haaland 9.2/10 World Cup Brace Announces Norway's Arrival as Iraq Bow Out Bravely

Mohit Tomar

Published - Jun 17, 2026, 12:12 AM

3 min

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Summary

Norway claimed a commanding 4-1 World Cup Group I victory over a brave Iraq side at Boston Stadium, with Haaland's debut brace the defining contribution of a performance that sends a clear message to every team remaining in the tournament.
Iraq competed with real spirit, and Hussein's brilliant equaliser gave them a genuine moment of World Cup history, yet Norway's quality and Haaland's clinical finishing proved ultimately insurmountable across 90 absorbing minutes in Massachusetts.
Erling Haaland was the undisputed match-winner at 9.2/10; his two goals and all-round physical dominance the centrepiece of a Norway display that announces Solbakken's side as one of the most dangerous teams at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Erling Haaland had waited his entire career for this moment, a FIFA World Cup debut on the grandest stage, and he delivered with the kind of clinical, composed authority that only the very best strikers in the world possess. Boston Stadium witnessed Norway's most complete international performance in decades, yet the scoreline could never fully capture just how courageously Iraq competed against a side boasting the most feared striker at the entire tournament.

Iraq's brave early intensity unsettled the Norway national football team for long stretches of an absorbing first half, pressing high, committing bodies forward, and genuinely threatening to hold Solbakken's side at bay. Hussein's brilliant Cristiano-esque header in the 39th minute showed exactly why Graham Arnold's side arrived in North America with quiet confidence, and for several breathless minutes it seemed a genuine upset might be on the cards.

But Erling Braut Haaland, as Haaland always does, had the decisive answers. His 43rd-minute predator's finish, arriving just four minutes after Iraq's equaliser, restored Norway's advantage heading into the break and fundamentally changed the psychological dynamic of the contest. The Iraq national football team pushed valiantly in the second half yet could not find a way through, before Ostigard's header and stoppage-time own goal completion sent Norway's travelling supporters into raptures.

Norway tops Group I with a performance that delivers a clear warning to every side still standing in this tournament. They have the squad depth, the tactical discipline, and above all else, one of the best strikers in world football operating at his absolute peak. Here are Sportsdunia's Iraq vs Norway player ratings.

Iraq National Football Team Player Ratings vs Norway

Here are the Iraq national football team player ratings vs Norway.

Player Name	Ratings
Jalal Hassan	4.7
Merchas Doski	6.6
Akam Hashim	5.7
Zaid Tahseen	3.8
Hussein Ali	5.8
Ali Jasim	6.9
Zaid Ismael	6.8
Amir Al Ammari	7.1
Ibrahim Bayesh	6.9
Ali Al Hamadi	7.2
Aymen Hussein	6.4

Norway National Football Team Player Ratings vs Iraq

Check out the Norway national football team player ratings vs Iraq.

Player Name	Ratings
Orjan Nyland	5.9
David Moller Wolfe	7.2
Torbjorn Heggem	7.0
Kristoffer Ajer	7.1
Julian Ryerson	7.3
Fredrik Aursnes	6.7
Sander Berge	7.5
Martin Odegaard	7.3
Antonio Nusa	6.7
Erling Haaland	9.2
Alexander Sorloth	6.2
Leo Ostigard	7.3

Man of the Match

Erling Haaland announced himself on the World Cup stage in the most emphatic fashion: two goals, relentless pressing that forced Hassan into the error for his second, and a physical presence that occupied Iraq's entire defensive attention from first whistle to last.