Haaland Fires Norway Past Iraq With Debut Double

Erling Haaland announced himself on the World Cup stage with a brace as Norway thrashed Iraq 4-1 in Group I, according to The Guardian. The striker had been hyped as the finest goalscorer on the planet by his own coach Ståle Solbakken before kick-off, though Haaland himself pushed back on that billing in his post-match comments.

The Guardian reports that Iraq's goalkeeper Hassan denied Haaland a hat-trick with a fine late save, keeping the striker from overtaking Kylian Mbappé in the scoring charts. A substitute, Leo Østigård, also got in on the act by heading home from a Martin Ødegaard corner to help seal the result.

Haaland was not exactly peripheral in the second half, but Iraq could take a sliver of comfort from the fact that Norway's star had fewer clear chances after the break. Still, the message from Group I is clear: Haaland is up and running, and the tournament is only just beginning.