Haaland waited 35 minutes before breaking the deadlock. Iraq, who are participating in the World Cup for the first time in 40 years, looked to be in control of the match, but then Norway countered and captain Martin Ødegaard played Haaland through to make it 1-0.
But the Norwegian joy did not last long. Minutes later, Aymen Hussein headed in to make it 1–1.
The first half looked set to end in a draw, but goalkeeper Jalal Hassan made a huge mistake, and Haaland was able to make it 2–1.
It's not easy to debut in a World Cup. There are a lot of emotions and nerves, Haaland tells NRK after the final whistle.
In the second half, Norway extended their lead to 3–1 through Leo Østigård, and then 4–1 through Kristian Thorstvedt.
Winning 4-1 is fantastic for everyone, says Haaland, and national team captain Ståle Solbakken supports him:
It was the opening match and we have three-plus goals, so we should be happy with that.
Solbakken points out that he is not completely satisfied with the team's play.
Overall it was an uneven match from our side, especially the way we handled and moved the ball. It wasn't fast enough and Iraq was a very organised team.
