The Iraq National Football Team faces Norway in the FIFA World Cup 2026, after a 40-year absence from the tournament. The teams are in a strong group with France and Senegal. Norway's national team is participating in the World Cup for the first time in almost 30 years, and has a strong attacking power led by Erling Haaland and captain Martin Odegaard. The team, led by coach Stale Solbakken, had a remarkable run in the qualifiers, scoring 37 goals in just eight matches. In contrast, the Iraq National Football Team enters the Group Stage as the least favored, after becoming the last team to qualify for the tournament following their win over Bolivia in the World Cup qualifying playoffs. Although most of Iraq's players are active outside the major European leagues, Ali Al-Hamadi, a striker for Ipswich Town, and Ayman Hussein, one of the brightest stars of Iraqi football, could pose a real threat in front of the goal. For Norway's national team, Erling Haaland cannot be ignored. The 25-year-old Manchester City striker has scored 55 goals in 50 international matches with his national team, including 16 goals during Norway's remarkable run in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. He is preparing to play his first World Cup match against Iraq, and it is difficult to rule out the possibility of him scoring. As for the Iraq National Football Team, they hope that 22-year-old midfielder Marco Fergani will have a remarkable performance in the tournament. Fergani plays for Italian club Venezia, and is expected to be one of the key players for the Iraqi national team in this match. This will be Norway's fourth participation in the World Cup, and their first since the 1998 edition. Iraq returns to the World Cup for the first time in 40 years, after their only previous participation in the 1986 edition, which they left from the group stage. This will be the first encounter in history between the two teams at the international level. Both teams are looking for a win in this match to improve their chances of qualifying for the next round of the tournament. A win in this match will be crucial in determining the fate of the two teams in Group Stage.