Haaland marks his World Cup debut with a brace as Norway sweep past Iraq

Erling Haaland does not do quiet introductions. On his long-awaited World Cup debut, the striker announced himself on the biggest stage of all with a first-half double, the centrepiece of a 4-1 win for Norway over a spirited Iraq. Earlier in the tournament Kylian Mbappe had laid down a marker with two goals against Senegal; within a day, Haaland had matched him, and a Golden Boot duel between two of the planet's most lethal forwards was suddenly very much alive.

This was the meeting of two nations carrying their own long waits. Norway were back at a World Cup after years away, while Iraq had returned after nearly three decades, and for a while the gap between them, more than 30 places in the world rankings, was far from obvious. Iraq competed with real credit and will leave the World Cup stage with their heads high. But they made the mistake of taking their eyes off Haaland, and twice they paid for it.

Norway's engine

The truth Norway cannot escape is that their hopes ride heavily on their number nine. Whether the shirt reads Haaland for City or Braut Haaland for his country, the output is identically ruthless, and at 25 he is a player you simply cannot look away from. His brace did the damage, and his presence reshaped the entire contest, dragging defenders out of position and turning half-chances into goals. For a nation that has waited so long to return, having the most in-form striker on earth leading the line is a luxury few of their rivals can match.

There was support from the other A-lister, too. Martin Odegaard was less prominent than Haaland, but the Arsenal captain created Norway's third goal before being substituted, as if to preserve him for sterner examinations to come. It hinted at a side with more than one match-winner, even if everything still flows through the man up front.

Work still to do

For all the gloss of the scoreline, Norway will know this was not flawless. They looked shaky at times in the defensive third, occasionally inviting pressure they did not need to, and against better opposition those lapses will be punished. That matters, because France lie in wait in the final group game, and Mbappe will have watched this with interest. A defence that wobbled against Iraq will have to be far more secure when the European champions come calling.

Still, this was Haaland's day, and a near-perfect start to his World Cup story. Norway have three points, their talisman has his tournament up and running, and the prospect of Haaland and Mbappe trading blows for goals across this group is exactly the kind of subplot a World Cup thrives on. The biggest names have arrived, and they have arrived scoring. The rest of the field has been warned.