Iraq face Haaland and Norway in World Cup opener

Haaland stands between Iraq and a dream start

It has been 40 years. Iraq walk out at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough on Tuesday evening, and Erling Haaland is waiting on the other side (1) (2). Norway's striker makes his World Cup debut, and his own coach is not playing it down. "I think he is the world's best goalscorer," Ståle Solbakken said (1).

Graham Arnold knows the task. His squad got here through 21 qualifiers across 28 months, a campaign that included war, 50°C heat, and a 117th-minute penalty just to stay alive. Now they face Haaland and Martin Ødegaard in Group I, with France and Senegal still to come (2).

The match kicks off Tuesday evening in Boston. For Iraq, it is the first World Cup match since 1986. For Norway, it is the moment their generation has been building toward. One of these stories gets a first chapter written tonight.