Iraq and Norway get their World Cup 2026 campaigns underway on Tuesday when they meet at Boston Stadium in Group I.France are expected to be favourites to top the group, making this contest potentially decisive in the battle for second place.Iraq are appearing at only their second World Cup finals and their first since 1986. The Lions of Mesopotamia endured a difficult qualification route, changing managers midway through the process before Graham Arnold guided them through the latter stages and eventually into the inter-confederation play-offs, where victory over Bolivia secured their place in North America.The Asian side have shown flashes of promise in recent months, including a creditable 1-1 draw against Spain in a pre-tournament friendly. Norway, meanwhile, are back on the World Cup stage for the first time since 1998 after an outstanding qualifying campaign. Stale Solbakkens side won all eight of their qualifiers, scoring 37 goals and conceding just five in the process.Led by Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard, Norway possess one of the most exciting attacking units at the tournament and will believe they have a genuine chance of reaching the knockout rounds. Their recent form has been mixed, but the quality throughout the squad means expectations are high heading into their opening group fixture.Table of ContentsWorld Cup 2026: Iraq v Norway team newsIraq v Norway World Cup 2026 predicted line-upsWhere to watch Iraq v Norway: TV channel, live online streamsWorld Cup 2026: Iraq v Norway statsWorld Cup 2026: Iraq v Norway predictionWorld Cup 2026: Iraq v Norway team newsIraq captain Jalal Hassan is expected to start in goal and could earn his 103rd international cap in the process.The experienced goalkeeper should be protected by centre-backs Zaid Tahseen and Rebin Sulaka, while Amir Al-Ammari and former Manchester United midfielder Zidane Iqbal are likely to anchor the midfield.Aymen Hussein is expected to spearhead the attack, supported by Ibrahim Bayesh, Ali Jasim and Stoke City forward Ali Al-Hamadi.For Norway, Erling Haaland will lead the line as he looks to continue the prolific form that helped his country qualify for the World Cup.Captain Martin Odegaard is set to start in midfield alongside Sander Berge and Fredrik Aursnes, while Antonio Nusa and Alexander Sorloth are expected to provide attacking support.Defensively, Kristoffer Ajer is likely to partner Torbjorn Heggem in central defence, with Leo Skiri Ostigard also an option if Solbakken opts to rotate.Iraq v Norway World Cup 2026 predicted line-upsIraq starting XI: Hassan; Ali, Tahseen, Sulaka, Doski; Al-Ammari, Iqbal; Bayesh, Jasim, Al-Hamadi; HusseinNorway starting XI: Nyland; Ryerson, Ajer, Heggem, Wolfe; Odegaard, Berge, Aursnes; Sorloth, Haaland, NusaWhere to watch Iraq v Norway: TV channel, live online streamsKick-off on Tuesday is at 23:00 BST (18:00 ET / 15:00 PT). In the UK, live coverage is on BBC One.Fans can stream the action on a vast range of devices through the BBC iPlayer app or BBC Sport website.World Cup 2026: Iraq v Norway statsIraqs previous World Cup appearance was in 1986, losing to Paraguay (1-0), Belgium (2-1) and Mexico (1-0)Only Canada and El Salvador have played more games at the World Cup with a 100% losing rate (6/6 each)From the third round of qualifying for the AFC World Cup qualifiers, eight of Iraqs 15 goals came from set-pieces (four from free-kicks, three from corners and one penalty)In the fifth round of AFC qualifying and inter-confederation play-offs, Amir Al Ammari was involved in three of Iraqs five goals (1 goal, 2 assists). Across all of qualifying, only Aymen Hussein (9) had more goal involvements than Al Ammaris seven (2 goals, 5 assists)Graham Arnold, Iraqs head coach, will be overseeing a side at the World Cup for the second time, after guiding Australia to the round of 16 stage for the second time in their history in 2022, losing 2-1 to eventual champions ArgentinaThis will be Norways fourth finals appearance and their first since 1998, when they produced their best campaign by reaching the round of 16 before being eliminated by ItalyNorway featured in 1994, which was the only previous time the tournament was hosted by the US. All four teams in their group finished level on four points and identical goal difference (0) still the only instance of its kind in World Cup history but Norway ended up bottom because they scored the fewest goalsTheir two wins at the World Cup came against Mexico in 1994 (1-0) and Brazil in 1998 (2-1), making them the last European nation to beat Brazil in the group stages of the tournamentWith 4.6 goals per game in European qualifying (37 goals in 8 matches), Norway achieved the best average ever for any European nation in a single World Cup qualifying campaign with more than four gamesErling Haaland scored 16 goals in eight matches in qualifying, which was double the number of any other European player at an average of 2.04 goals per 90 minutesStale Solbakken is at his first World Cup as head coach and featured in the 1998 edition as a player, featuring in three matches in Norways most recent appearance at the tournamentWorld Cup 2026: Iraq v Norway predictionIraq have shown signs of improvement under Graham Arnold and should be capable of making the contest competitive, particularly with experienced players throughout the spine of the team.However, Norways attacking quality is difficult to ignore. With Haaland, Odegaard, Nusa and Sorloth all capable of creating and converting chances, the Europeans should have enough firepower to secure an important win in Group I.Prediction: Iraq 1-3 NorwayResponsible GamblingGambling should always be approached as entertainment, not as a way to generate income. If you ever feel that gambling is becoming a problem, there are several organisations you can contact for free, confidential support.National Gambling Helpline: 0808 8020 133 (free, 8 am to midnight, 7 days a week)GamCare: www.gamcare.org.ukGambleAware: gambleaware.orgGamStop: www.gamstop.co.uk (free self-exclusion service)Tools available through bet365 include deposit limits, session time reminders, loss limits, self-exclusion and Reality Checks. These can be accessed via the Safer Gambling section of your account at any time. 18+ only. Please gamble responsibly. Topics 2026 FIFA World Cup Erling Haaland FIFA World Cup iraq national football team Norway National Football Team World Cup World Cup 2026 Add us as a preferred source on Google If you enjoy reading this article, you can help support our independent football journalism by adding 101 Great Goals as a preferred source You Should Also Read Spain vs Cape Verde live: World Cup 2026 confirmed teams and full line ups as Rodri and Unai Simon start, TV channel, live online stream and stats Ben Miller 15th June, 2026 Argentina v Algeria: World Cup 2026 line-ups, stats and preview, TV channel, live online stream to watch Lionel Messi, prediction Mitch Fretton 15th June, 2026 World Cup boss reacts to Liverpool and PSG transfer talk: They told me Diomande is going to sign Ben Miller 15th June, 2026 Austria v Jordan: World Cup 2026 line-ups, stats and preview, TV channel, live online stream and prediction Mitch Fretton 15th June, 2026 Neymar: World Cup 2026 playing schedule, fixtures, results, kick off times, confirmed injury news updates, full Brazil squad Ben Miller 15th June, 2026 World Cup 2026: Full fixtures, dates, games, schedule and results from FIFA football finals Ben Miller 15th June, 2026
