Iraq - Norway: score, highlights and statistics

On 16 June 2026, Iraq and Norway face each other in their Group I opener of the 2026 FIFA World Cup near Boston - a historic encounter between two nations both making their long-awaited return to football's biggest stage after decades of absence.

Match Info: Iraq vs Norway

Iraq vs Norway kicks off on 16 June 2026 at 23:00 BST (22:00 UTC) at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, near Boston. The match is part of Group I of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which also includes France and Senegal.

Where to Watch Iraq vs Norway?

Viewers in the United States have the widest range of options: the match is broadcast on FOX in English and Telemundo in Spanish on free television, while streaming options include Fubo TV, Peacock, FOX Sports, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, and Spanish-language audio coverage via Futbol de Primera Radio.

Canadian fans can catch the game on TSN+. In Australia, the match is available on SBS On Demand, and New Zealand viewers can tune in via TVNZ+. Brazil is covered by CazéTV, while Mexican fans can watch on VIX.

European streaming options include 6play and beIN SPORTS CONNECT in France, DAZN España in Spain, and DAZN Italia in Italy. In Argentina, the game airs on DIRECTV Sports Argentina on television and on DIRECTV GO online. Polish viewers can catch the match on TVP 2 and TVP Sport on free-to-air TV, with streaming via sport.tvp.pl and the TVP Sport App.

Iraq vs Norway - Match Preview

Iraq and Norway clash in the Group I opener, both making their first World Cup appearance in decades - Iraq for the first time since Mexico 1986 and Norway for the first time since France 1998, making this a meeting of two footballing nations reclaiming their place on the world stage.

Iraq arrived at the tournament as the last of the 48 nations to qualify, clinching their place with a 2-1 win over Bolivia in the intercontinental playoff final in Monterrey on 1 April 2026. Goals from Ali al-Hamadi and Aymen Hussein ended a 40-year absence. Coach Graham Arnold called the qualification journey an "absolute honour," and the squad - built on a mix of home-grown talent and diaspora players - enters the tournament as underdogs with little to lose and everything to prove.

Norway's story is one of long-overdue arrival. Under the nation's greatest-ever striker Erling Haaland, the Norwegians swept through UEFA qualifying with 8 wins from 8 games, scoring 37 goals and conceding just 5. Their defining moment came on 16 November 2025, when Haaland scored twice in 2 minutes to seal a stunning 4-1 victory over Italy at the San Siro. A pre-tournament friendly against Sweden on 1 June 2026 ended 3-1 to Norway - and Haaland did not even play, having been rested alongside Martin Ødegaard.

Head-to-Head: Iraq vs Norway

This is the first-ever senior international meeting between Iraq and Norway - two nations whose football paths have never crossed at this level. The 2026 FIFA World Cup provides the stage for the very first chapter of what could become a lasting rivalry.

With no previous encounters on record, the following fixture marks the opening entry in the all-time head-to-head between these two nations:

• 16 June 2026 - FIFA World Cup 2026, Group I - Iraq vs Norway (first-ever meeting)

Iraq - Recent Form

Iraq arrive at the World Cup with 3 wins and 2 losses from their last 5 matches - a record that does not fully capture the monumental nature of their qualification journey, particularly the decisive 2-1 win over Bolivia that ended a 40-year World Cup absence.

Their final pre-tournament match, on 29 May 2026, saw Iraq beat Andorra 1-0 in the intercontinental playoff. Before that, they defeated Bolivia 2-1 on 1 April 2026 in the decisive playoff final, with Ali al-Hamadi and Aymen Hussein scoring the crucial goals. December 2025 was more turbulent: Iraq lost 1-0 to Jordan and 2-0 to Algeria at the Arab Cup, though they beat Sudan 2-0 in the same competition.

Across those 5 matches, Iraq scored 5 goals and conceded 4. The defensive record is modest, but the squad demonstrated the ability to deliver when the stakes are highest - a quality that rarely appears in statistics but always shows up on the pitch.

Norway - Recent Form

Norway enter the 2026 World Cup in formidable shape, recording 3 wins, 1 draw and 1 defeat across their last 5 matches - scoring 12 goals and conceding just 5, with statement wins in both a World Cup qualifier at the San Siro and a pre-tournament friendly.

Their most recent match before the tournament, on 1 June 2026, was a 3-1 friendly win over Sweden in Oslo. Jørgen Strand Larsen scored twice and Antonio Nusa added a third - all without Erling Haaland and Martin Ødegaard, who were rested. Prior to that, Norway drew 0-0 with Switzerland and lost 2-1 to the Netherlands in 2 March 2026 friendlies.

Their qualifier form tells the full story: on 16 November 2025, Norway dismantled Italy 4-1 in Milan, with Haaland's brace in the 62nd and 64th minutes confirming World Cup qualification. The week before, they beat Estonia 4-1 in Oslo. Haaland's tally of 16 goals in the UEFA group-stage qualifiers equals the European record set by Robert Lewandowski.

Facts and Statistics

5 key facts about the Iraq vs Norway encounter at the 2026 World Cup:

• This is the first-ever senior international meeting between Iraq and Norway - there is no previous head-to-head record between these nations.
• Iraq return to the World Cup after a 40-year absence, their only previous appearance being Mexico 1986, where they were eliminated in the group stage.
• Norway return after a 28-year absence - they last played at a World Cup in France 1998, reaching the round of 16.
• Erling Haaland scored 16 goals in the UEFA group-stage qualifiers, equalling Robert Lewandowski's European record.
• Norway won all 8 group-stage qualifying matches, scoring 37 goals and conceding only 5 - one of the most dominant European qualifying campaigns on record.