Iraq faces Norway in World Cup match preview and predictions

Iraq and Norway will meet on June 16, 2026, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, in what promises to be one of the more emotionally charged Group I openers of the expanded FIFA World Cup. For Iraq, it’s a return to the tournament after a 40-year absence. For Norway, the wait has been a comparatively modest 28 years.

Two long roads back to the biggest stage

Iraq’s last World Cup appearance came in 1986, a tournament hosted by Mexico during a period when the country was embroiled in a devastating war with Iran. Norway’s last appearance came at France 1998, where they famously beat Brazil 2-1 in the group stage before bowing out in the Round of 16.

The 2026 tournament’s expanded format, which increases the field to 48 teams, has been specifically designed to bring more nations into the fold.

Norway’s firepower versus Iraq’s resilience

Norway is favored at -460 on the moneyline, which translates to roughly an 82% implied probability of winning.

Norway’s squad features Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard, two players who would comfortably start for virtually any national team on the planet. Haaland has been one of the most prolific strikers in world football for several years running, and Odegaard’s creativity from midfield gives Norway a level of technical quality that most Group I opponents simply can’t match.

Iraq, for their part, will lean on forwards like Aymen Hussein and midfielder Ibrahim Bayesh. These are players who may not carry the same global name recognition, but they’ve been central to Iraq’s qualifying campaign.

The match will be broadcast on BBC One, among other networks.

Crypto’s quiet presence at the World Cup

Kraken, the US-based crypto exchange, serves as an official partner of the tournament. FIFA’s sponsorship tiers are among the most exclusive and expensive in global sports, and having a crypto exchange sitting alongside traditional sponsors signals that digital asset companies have crossed a threshold in terms of institutional legitimacy.

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