Two of the most remarkable returns to football's biggest stage. Iraq are back at the World Cup for the first time since 1986, a 40-year gap. Norway return for the first time since 1998, a 28-year gap, now with the world's most lethal striker in Erling Haaland. Gillette Stadium in Foxborough hosts on opening Tuesday.
Why: Norway have Haaland. That alone is worth a goal head-start in any group-stage fixture. Add Odegaard (Arsenal captain), Nusa (Leipzig), Sorloth (Atletico Madrid), Berge (Fulham) and the squad runs three deep at every position. Iraq are well organised under Graham Arnold but lack the Champions League-level talent to genuinely contain. 1.50 is short but the +18% edge holds.
Haaland's international rate is absurd: 55 goals in 48 caps, one of the highest international scoring rates in modern football history. His 2025-26 Manchester City season produced 35 Premier League goals, his fourth straight 30+ campaign. Iraq's centre-backs Ali Adnan and Mustafa Nadhim cannot match his pace, strength or finishing. Anytime price 1.30 (favorite), but the value is in 2+ goals.
Bayesh is Iraq's holding midfielder and the player tasked with breaking up Norway's attacking transitions through Odegaard. He averages a yellow every 3-4 matches at Persepolis. Against Norway's pace, the tactical foul rate goes up. Anytime Card around 2.60.
The match is at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Built in 2002 as the home of the NFL's New England Patriots and the New England Revolution of MLS, capacity 65,000.
Gillette will host seven matches at the 2026 World Cup including group games and a Round of 16 fixture. The Boston area's large Iraqi-American community plus Norwegian-American Massachusetts diaspora promises a real atmosphere.
Iraq's only previous World Cup appearance came at 1986 in Mexico, where they lost all three group games to Paraguay, Belgium and Mexico without scoring a goal in the first two matches. Their only ever World Cup goal came from Ahmed Radhi in their final group game against Belgium.
Forty years later, they are back. Graham Arnold, the Australian who coached the Socceroos to back-to-back World Cup qualifications, took over Iraq in 2024 after success in his home country. He brings the technical organisation and tactical structure that Iraq's previously chaotic federation lacked.
Something cool: Iraq's 2007 AFC Asian Cup victory remains one of the great football stories. The country, in the midst of the Iraq War, was unable to host any qualifying matches. The team trained scattered across the Middle East. They won the tournament in Jakarta with a 1-0 final win over Saudi Arabia, captain Younis Mahmoud heading in the winner. The country erupted; even partisans on both sides of the war paused to celebrate.
Norway's last World Cup was 1998 in France. They reached the Round of 16 (their best ever finish) and lost to eventual finalists Italy. The 28-year gap since is the longest of any current World Cup squad's nation among traditional European powers.
Stale Solbakken took over in 2020 and patiently rebuilt around a younger generation. The 2026 qualifying campaign was perfect: 10 wins from 10, scoring 37 goals (Haaland 13), finishing ahead of four-time world champions Italy.
Something cool: Norway are the only team to have qualified for 2026 World Cup with a 100% qualifying record in UEFA, 30 points from 30. Haaland's 13 qualifying goals were the most by any UEFA striker. The squad photoshoot for the tournament used a Viking warrior theme that went viral.
Hassan has been Iraq's captain since 2022 and first-choice goalkeeper since 2018. The 35-year-old plays for Al-Zawraa, one of Iraq's two most successful clubs.
He is the most-capped active Iraqi player with 100+ caps across more than a decade of national service. His leadership and shot-stopping have been central to Iraq's tactical setup under multiple managers.
Captaining at his first World Cup, in a country that has waited 40 years for this moment, with a national football community that has built itself around his squad in the absence of a major tournament. The pressure and significance are unique.
Odegaard was named Norway captain in 2021 at age 22, one of the youngest captains in the modern European game. He has held the role through Norway's first qualification since 1998.
Club journey: Stromsgodset (Norwegian debut at 15) to Real Madrid (signed at 16) via loans at Heerenveen, Vitesse, Real Sociedad to Arsenal, where he has been captain since 2022. Multiple Premier League runners-up finishes.
Captaining at his first World Cup, leading what is widely considered Norway's greatest generation. The partnership with Haaland (the world's most lethal striker) and Antonio Nusa (Leipzig's young winger) is the spine of the side.
Iraq qualified through AFC's intercontinental playoff process, defeating Saudi Arabia in the playoff to seal the place. Aymen Hussein led the scoring with 9 in qualifying.
Norway finished UEFA Group I with a perfect 10 wins from 10, scoring 37 goals. Haaland scored 13 in qualifying, the most by any European striker. They finished ahead of Italy.
Based on each side's most recent friendly. Final XIs confirm one hour before kick-off; this page will update.
| Date | Match | Venue | Preview |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Jun | France vs Senegal | East Rutherford | Preview → |
| 16 Jun | Iraq vs Norway | Foxborough | This page |
| 22 Jun | France vs Iraq | Philadelphia | Preview → |
| 22 Jun | Norway vs Senegal | East Rutherford | Preview → |
| 26 Jun | Norway vs France | Foxborough | Preview → |
| 26 Jun | Senegal vs Iraq | Toronto | Preview → |
All four teams, qualification scenarios and BetBot predictions: See full Group I overview →
Graham Arnold's Iraq play a disciplined 4-4-2 deep block with the central midfield pair of Bayesh and Resan responsible for both ball recovery and quick distribution to the front two of Aymen Hussein and Mohanad Ali. The full-backs (Doski, Ali Adnan) stay deep; the central defenders (Nadhim, Natiq) play between them and the goalkeeper.
Stale Solbakken's Norway play a 4-3-3 with Odegaard as a free ten between Berge and Thorsby in midfield. Nusa and Sorloth provide width with the freedom to swap sides; Haaland operates as the central reference point with massive movement freedom. The shape is built entirely around feeding Haaland from multiple angles.
The key tactical battle: Norway's ability to break the Iraq block. Arnold's Australia teams excelled at frustrating bigger nations in this exact scenario. Iraq's defensive organisation should give them at least 30 minutes of resistance. The question is whether they can sustain it.
Norway have scored in 17 of their last 18 international matches. Haaland alone has scored in 6 consecutive Norway games. The over 2.5 goals market is heavily backed.
Iraq's only realistic path to a positive result is via set pieces. Hussein has scored 4 of his 9 qualifying goals from corners and free-kicks. Norway's set-piece defending under Solbakken has been an under-tested area.
Norway expect to finish second in Group I behind France. The Senegal and Iraq matches are both winnable; the France match is the obvious loss-acceptance scenario.
Iraq's realistic path is the best third-placed qualification route. With 3-4 points from the three group matches and a good goal difference, they could advance to the Round of 32 in their first World Cup since 1986.
Tuesday 16 June 2026 at 18:00 ET (00:00 CEST Wednesday 17 June). Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts.
40 years. Their only previous appearance was 1986 in Mexico, where they lost all three group games.
28 years. Their last World Cup was 1998 in France, where they reached the Round of 16.
Attacking midfielder Martin Odegaard (Arsenal), captain since 2021. Real Madrid academy product who became one of the youngest international captains in modern football.
Perfect. 10 wins from 10 in UEFA Group I, 37 goals scored, finishing ahead of four-time world champions Italy. Haaland scored 13 in qualifying.
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