Iraq and Norway met at Boston Stadium in a FIFA World Cup Group I fixture, with both sides looking to make their mark in the competition. The match finished 0-0 at full time.

Norway's recent form

Norway arrived at this fixture in strong shape. Ståle Solbakken's side had beaten Sweden 3-1 on 1 June 2026 and followed that up with a 1-1 draw away to Morocco on 7 June 2026. Earlier in the qualifying cycle, Norway recorded an impressive 4-1 victory away to Italy and a 4-1 home win over Estonia in FIFA World Cup European Qualifying Group I.

Their only recent blemish was a 2-1 defeat away to the Netherlands on 27 March 2026, though they had also drawn 0-0 with Switzerland at home on 31 March 2026.

Iraq's road to the World Cup

Iraq qualified through the Asian route, eliminating U.A.E. across two legs — drawing 1-1 away on 13 November 2025 before winning 2-1 at home on 18 November 2025. They also held Saudi Arabia to a 0-0 draw in FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifying Fourth Round Group B on 14 October 2025.

In their warm-up fixtures ahead of the tournament, Iraq beat Andorra 1-0 at home on 29 May 2026 and held Spain to a 1-1 draw away on 4 June 2026 — a result that suggested they could compete at this level. However, they suffered a 0-2 defeat to Venezuela at home on 10 June 2026 heading into this match.

Key players to watch

Norway's attacking threat centres on Erling Haaland, whose fitness ahead of the tournament had been a talking point. Coach Solbakken provided updates on Haaland's readiness, along with that of captain Martin Ødegaard, in the build-up to this fixture.

Both teams entered this Group I contest knowing that points here could prove decisive in the race to advance from the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.