Haaland scores twice as Norway open with 4–1 win over Iraq

Haaland brace sinks Iraq 4–1 in the opener

Your team arrived at this World Cup after 28 years away and left no doubt. Norway beat Iraq 4–1 in the Group I opener Tuesday, and Erling Haaland scored twice (1) (2). The first was his first World Cup goal, a moment an entire nation has been waiting for since before he was born. He added a second later in the match, and the points were never in question (5). Norway top the group after the first round.

Haaland: Kane and Mbappé are still ahead of me

Two goals on your World Cup debut and still not satisfied. Haaland told reporters after the match that he does not see himself as the world's best goalscorer. "Statistically," he said, Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappé are ahead of him (1). Not false modesty, a reminder of the standard he holds himself to.

Iraqi players cleaned their own dressing room

Small gesture, big respect. After the 4–1 defeat, Iraq's players swept and tidied their dressing room before leaving the stadium (3). The kind of thing that travels fast in a tournament and reminds you the World Cup is bigger than the scoreboard.

Fan-reaktioner

The seismic thing is real, Haaland's goal was picked up on sensors in Bergen, and the r/soccer thread is having a field day with it. Over on r/Allsvenskan, Swedish fans are already comparing their 5–1 start to Norway's 4–1, asking which neighbour goes further. And the Viking row on the escalator has its own stadium-view clip doing the rounds. The mood is giddy, and it should be. Seismic sensors thread