Haaland Transforms into an Animal on the Pitch. My First Goal Was Nice, and the Second Even Better, He Boasted

It took him just 29 minutes to score his first goal, and he added a second a quarter of an hour later. Thanks to his performance, Norway confirmed their favorites tag, defeating Iraq 4-1.

The "Vikings" returned to the World Cup after a long 28-year absence, while Iraq's return was after 40 years. Separated by 26 places in the FIFA rankings, Norway arrived at the tournament following an impressive qualifying campaign, unbeaten and with only one loss in their last 14 matches. Consequently, a dominant performance was widely anticipated.

However, this dominance wasn't fully evident in the first half, as Iraq pressed forward, nearly opening the scoring, and Aymen Hussein equalized in the 39th minute after Haaland's opener. The Manchester City striker restored Norway's lead in the 43rd minute, but Zaid Tahseen and Amir Al-Hamadi had promising chances to level the score again before halftime, failing to convert.

Norway took control of the game in the second half, keeping their opponents at bay. The favorite's victory was sealed in the 77th minute when Leo Östigärd capitalized on a corner. In the 97th minute, following a Haaland header, a determined Kristian Thorstvedt, with an assist from Iraqi forward Hussein, made it 4-1.

"We were expected to win, and thankfully we did. Now everyone in Norway will be happy, and I hope people will celebrate. I'm proud of everyone for starting with such a result and performance. However, we know that the next matches will be even tougher, and we'll have to play even better," Haaland stated to FIFA.

Norway's coach, Stale Solbakken, had labeled him the "best striker in the world" before the match, and the Norwegian number nine certainly proved it. His first goal came from a swift attack: Antonio Nusa on the left wing passed to a surging David Wolfe, who delivered a cross to Haaland at the far post, and he slid it in between defenders.

For his second goal, he successfully pressured the opponent during their build-up play. Goalkeeper Jalal Hassan mishandled the ball, and the Norwegian striker forced it past him. "My first goal was nice, the second even better," he declared with a smile. "I think most people on the big screen saw how I felt. But of course, it's a good feeling, and I'm proud of it. I'm incredibly proud to have made my World Cup debut and to have won Norway's first match at the tournament in 28 years."

Haaland has now scored 57 goals in 51 appearances for Norway, with 51 of those coming under coach Solbakken. "First and foremost, our relationship is good. You can see that since he started coaching the national team. We're building a good relationship and performing well on the pitch. That's the most important thing," the 25-year-old revealed.

"Erling is so effective and deadly. He can break through and score at any moment. He's ready for any challenge. Yet, he's actually the calmest guy ever! You don't know he's about to play until the referee blows the whistle. Then, when the game starts, you see the hunger in him. Then he's an animal," praised teammate Sander Berge.

The "Lions of Mesopotamia" were particularly frustrated by their missed opportunities to equalize at 2-2 and ultimately by the heavy defeat, which didn't fully reflect the game's dynamics, especially in the first half. Iraq outshot Norway 9-7 in that period. "We played very well at times, but a few mistakes cost us. Three points can get you to the next stage, and we still have two games to achieve that," stated Iraq coach Graham Arnold.

"We are proud to have appeared at the World Cup after 40 years. But losing 4-1, that hurts," full-back Hussein Ali told the Associated Press. He and his teammates will play their next match on Monday, June 22nd, at 11:00 PM CET in Philadelphia against France, while Norway will face Senegal on Tuesday at 2:00 AM CET in East Rutherford.