Norway got off to a strong start in their first World Cup appearance in 28 years, thanks to their star Erling Haaland’s debut performance on the pitch.
The exciting 25-year-old scored his first after the mandatory hydration break, as David Møller Wolfe set him up with a low cross to find the net. However, Haaland wasn’t done, as he’d score a second goal later in the match.
When Iraq goalkeeper Jalal Hassan made a critical error, Haaland capitalized on the mistake, tapping the ball past him into the empty net to give Norway a 2-1 lead.
Norway added two more goals before the matchup ended. Haaland couldn’t achieve the hat trick, but assisted teammate Kristian Thorstvedt on his goal in the second half of the thrilling performance in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
Haaland’s two goals and an assist impressed Fox Sports analyst Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who praised the Norwegian star after his performance in the win.
“It’s a great start. This is what we wanted, and we got it. This was all about Haaland,” he said.
“The star showed up and I made him my lion today, and this is what he gave me back. I might move him up in my King of the Jungle list. He’s getting close to Zlatan, so we are happy with his performance today,” Ibrahimovic said in post-match commentary.
That’s a huge endorsement from one of international football’s big stars, although Ibrahimovic never scored in the World Cup. Still, he scored 19 goals in qualifying matches to help Sweden reach the World Cup in 2002 and 2006.
For those wondering, Zlatan revealed his first King of the Jungle list on Fox and placed himself atop the list. However, he had Haaland four spots below him, behind Spain’s Lamine Yamal, England’s Harry Kane, and France’s Kylian Mbappe.
Yamal had a limited participation in Spain’s opener on Monday, and his team ended with a stunning 0-0 draw against Cabo Verde. Mbappe was on the pitch earlier on Tuesday and also put on a show with a two-goal performance to lead France, 3-1, past Senegal. Kane will play with England in their opener against Croatia on Wednesday.
Currently, the teams are in the Group stage as they attempt to qualify for the later stages of the World Cup. With Haaland powering Norway to their 4-1 opening win, they are atop Group I with France just below them. Each team recorded three points for their wins, but Norway has scored more goals, important later if a tiebreaker is necessary.
Next up for Norway will be a match against Senegal on Monday, June 22, at 8 p.m. ET.