Norway marked their return to the FIFA World Cup in emphatic fashion as star striker Erling Haaland scored twice to inspire a convincing 4-1 victory over Iraq in their opening Group I encounter.
The Scandinavian side, making their first World Cup appearance since 1998, got their campaign off to a winning start with a dominant display that underlined their ambitions of progressing deep into the tournament.
Haaland, playing in his first-ever World Cup match, wasted little time in announcing his arrival on football's biggest stage. The prolific forward opened the scoring in the 29th minute when he converted a low cross from close range to hand Norway the lead.
Iraq, however, responded positively and found an equaliser ten minutes later. Veteran striker Aymen Hussein rose highest in the penalty area to power home a header, giving the Asian side renewed hope and bringing the contest back on level terms.
The parity was short-lived.
Just before the break, Haaland capitalised on a costly defensive error from Iraq. A misplaced back pass and hesitation from goalkeeper Jalal Hassan allowed the Norwegian striker to pounce, with the ball rebounding into the net to restore Norway's advantage. The goal took Haaland's international tally to an impressive 57 goals in just 51 appearances for his country.
Despite trailing, Iraq continued to show resilience and created several opportunities to get back into the match. Ibrahim Bayesh, Ali Al-Hamadi and Akam Hashim all threatened the Norwegian defence, but they were unable to find a way past goalkeeper Orjan Nyland.
Norway eventually tightened their grip on the contest in the second half. Substitute Leo Ostigard extended the lead in the 76th minute, heading home from a Martin Odegaard corner to effectively put the result beyond doubt.
The Europeans added further gloss to the scoreline deep into stoppage time when a late attack involving Haaland resulted in an own goal credited to Hussein, sealing a comprehensive 4-1 victory for the Norwegians.
The win leaves Norway at the top of Group I on goal difference, level on points with France, who defeated Senegal 3-1 in the group's other fixture. Norway's next challenge will come against Senegal, while Iraq face a daunting encounter against defending champions France.
For Haaland, the evening represented another milestone in an already remarkable career. Having scored on his debuts in several major competitions, the Manchester City forward once again demonstrated his ability to rise to the occasion, giving Norway fans plenty of reason to believe that their long-awaited World Cup return could become a memorable one.
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