The Iraq national football team kicks off their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign with a strong match against Norway, as part of the first round of group stage matches. This match is crucial in determining the fate of both teams in the tournament. The Iraq national football team is participating in the World Cup finals for the second time in their history, after a 40-year absence since their only appearance in the 1986 edition. The team is relying on the experience of Aymen Hussein to achieve a win. The match began with strong pressure from the Iraqi team, but Norway managed to score the first goal through Erling Haaland. However, Iraq equalized with a powerful header from Aymen Hussein. The match continued to determine the fate of the two teams, and Norway managed to score three more goals, while Iraq scored only one goal. The match ended with Norway winning 4-1. This is the first loss for the Iraq national football team in the tournament, and they must win the upcoming matches to ensure qualification to the round of 32.