2026 World Cup: Iraq vs. Norway, Probable Lineups

One of the countless unprecedented matchups at this year’s World Cup will take place at the stroke of midnight Italian time, between Tuesday and Wednesday, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts (about forty minutes by car from Boston): Iraq and Norway will face off; both teams are in Group I alongside France and Senegal.

Iraq is finally making headlines in the sports world after decades of grim war news: the Lions of Mesopotamia are returning to the World Cup for the first time since 1986, a tournament marked by three narrow losses to Paraguay (0-1), Belgium (1-2), and Mexico (0-1). The Iraqis qualified for this World Cup at the very last minute, winning the inter-zone playoff against Bolivia 2-1, thanks to goals by Ali Al-Hamadi and Ayman Hussein, both of whom are on head coach Graham Arnold’s 26-man roster.

Norway, on the other hand, returns to the World Cup for the first time since 1998: it took a generation of world-class champions—first and foremost striker Erling Haaland—to secure the red-and-blue national team’s third World Cup appearance in its history. Interestingly, in both World Cups in which Norway has participated, the Løvene’s run has been halted by Italy: 2-1 in the first round of the 1938 World Cup (goals by Pietro Ferraris and Silvio Piola; Norway’s goal by Arne Brustad), 1-0 in the round of 16 in France (decisive goal by Bobo Vieri).

Probable Lineups

IRAQ (4-4-2): Hassan; Ali, Tahseen, Hashim, Doski; Bayesh, Ismael, Al-Ammari, Farji; Al-Hamadi, Jasim. Head Coach: Arnold.

NORWAY (4-3-3): Nyland; Ryerson, Ajer, Heggem, Wolfe; Ødegaard, Berge, Aursnes; Sørloth, Haaland, Nusa. Head Coach: Solbakken.