Norway's Haaland sparkles on World Cup debut with two goals for 4-1 victory over Iraq

FOXBOROUGH, Mass., June 16 : Norway's prolific striker Erling Haaland bagged two goals in his maiden World Cup appearance on Tuesday to guide his team to an opening 4-1 Group I victory over Iraq, and put down a marker for the tournament.

The 25-year-old, one of the most exciting forwards in world football, was in the spotlight long before the match, and he lived up to his big-name billing on his debut on the biggest of stages, as Norway returned to the World Cup after a 28-year absence.

After a cautious start, Haaland, who scored 16 times in eight qualifying games, double the tally of anyone else in Europe, opened his World Cup goal account in the 29th minute, beating his markers and stabbing in a David Moller Wolfe low cross at the far post.

"It was not easy to be a debutant, you're nervous, and to win on a not-so-good day is great," Haaland told reporters. "To win 4-1 on an average day is absolutely huge for all of us. It's fantastic and I'm proud of all of us."

"This is the most difficult thing you can do," added the forward. "The next games will be much tougher than this. We have to play even better."

It was always going to be an uphill struggle for Iraq, who returned to the World Cup for the first time in 40 years after grabbing the last available World Cup place with a 2-1 win over Bolivia in their intercontinental playoff in March.

But they had been battle-hardened by 21 qualifying matches and they kept their composure, snatching a stunning equaliser 10 minutes later, with Aymen Hussein, whose goal against Bolivia had sent them to the World Cup, rising higher than three Norwegians in the box and heading in an Amir Al Ammari cross.

Their joy, however, was short-lived when Haaland pounced on a weak back pass to Iraq's