The Iraq national football team faced a bizarre incident during their match against Norway in the 2026 World Cup, held at Foxborough Stadium in Boston. A sudden malfunction of one of the field's irrigation systems caused a significant water flow on the pitch. This issue arose between the halves of the match, leading to confusion in preparations for the second half. Maintenance crews quickly intervened to control the situation, successfully shutting off the water source and removing the excess water. According to the Providence Journal, the malfunction occurred specifically in Iraq's penalty area, prompting maintenance teams to rush to dry the "water pool" before the second half began. Despite the disruption, the teams were able to complete their tasks on time, starting the second half without any delay. Despite this incident, the Iraq national football team lost to Norway with a score of 4-1 in their tournament opener.