Erling Haaland scores twice in World Cup opener against Iraq
ESPN Soccer • 1 min read • Latest: Jun 17, 2026, 1:49 AM
Last updated Jun 17, 2026
Erling Haaland scored two goals in Norway's 4-1 victory over Iraq during their World Cup match on June 17, 2026, at Boston Stadium. This marked Norway's first World Cup win since 1998. Despite his performance, Haaland declined to claim the title of world's best goalscorer, citing Harry Kane's higher total of 36 goals this season. Haaland's goals brought his tally to 57 in 51 appearances for Norway, further establishing him as the national team's all-time leading scorer. He emphasized the importance of maintaining focus and calm ahead of upcoming matches.
- •Norway defeats Iraq 4-1 in World Cup opener.
- •Haaland nets two goals to increase his tally to 57.
- •He declines to assert himself as the best goalscorer.
- •Norway's victory is their first in a World Cup since 1998.
- •Match took place at Boston Stadium on June 17, 2026.
- 1:07 PMESPN Soccer — Haaland: I'm not 'statistically' No.1 goalscorer
- 1:49 AMYahoo Sports — Erling Haaland says 'No, I'm not' the best goalscorer in the world
"Despite Erling Haaland successfully launching Norway's 2026 World Cup campaign with a brace against Iraq, the striker still believes Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappé are ahead of him in the race to be regarded as football's best goalscorer.
"Erling Haaland scored two goals against Iraq to give Norway its first World Cup win since 1998. He still says he's not the world's best goalscorer.
Sources
External links- ESPN SoccerJun 17, 2026, 1:07 PMHaaland: I'm not 'statistically' No.1 goalscorer
Despite Erling Haaland successfully launching Norway's 2026 World Cup campaign with a brace against Iraq, the striker still believes Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappé are ahead of him in the race to be regarded as football's best goalscorer.
- Yahoo SportsJun 17, 2026, 1:49 AMErling Haaland says 'No, I'm not' the best goalscorer in the world
Erling Haaland scored two goals against Iraq to give Norway its first World Cup win since 1998. He still says he's not the world's best goalscorer.
Original reporting and copyright belong to the linked sources. SportsNewsReport.com aggregates and links — it does not republish full articles.
Related Stories
Last 14 days
EPL•Oct 18, 2026, 2:22 PM🚨Confirmed XIs: Arsenal visit Forest under pressure
EPL•Oct 18, 2026, 2:12 PMFrom inflated revenues to inflatable bananas: A look at the bizarre craze at scandal-hit Man City
EPL•Oct 18, 2026, 1:13 PMJames and Carpenter lead Chelsea surge as sorry Spurs hit for six in WSL again
EPL•Oct 18, 2026, 1:05 PMArsenal at Nottingham Forest match thread: keep chopping!
EPL•Oct 18, 2026, 1:00 PMDejan Kulusevski to finally return to Spurs matchday squad after more than 500 days
EPL•Oct 18, 2026, 11:34 AM5️⃣ Brazilian clubs in world's top 100 most valuable squads; see list