Tag: Norway

Erling Haaland struck his first FIFA World Cup goals as Norway beat Iraq 4-1 on Tuesday in their first game at a major tournament in 26 years.

The Manchester City striker turned in from close range to give Norway the lead on 29 minutes in Boston, but Aymen Hussein’s header brought Iraq level.

Haaland pounced on an error at the back to put Norway ahead again before half-time and take his goals tally at the international level to 57 in just 51 matches.

Leo Ostigard headed in a third for Norway moments after coming off the bench to effectively wrap up victory. Norway got a fourth deep into stoppage time through a Hussein own goal.

The win left Norway on top of Group I on goal difference, level with France on three points after Les Bleus overcame Senegal 3-1 earlier in the day. The Norwegians face the African powerhouses in their next game in New Jersey on June 22.

No team endured a longer or more perilous road to the World Cup than Iraq, who secured their place as the 48th and final qualifier in March after a 21-match campaign that stretched across 867 days.

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Hussein, scorer of the decisive goal in the play-off win over Bolivia, was then held and questioned for hours by US immigration officials after arriving with the squad ahead of Iraq’s first World Cup since 1986.

Norway last played at the tournament in 1998, when coach Stale Solbakken was a member of the squad that famously beat Brazil in the group stage before exiting in the last 16. He also featured at Euro 2000.

After breezing impressively through qualifying, twice thrashing Italy, they are hoping a golden generation of players – led by Haaland and Arsenal midfielder Martin Odegaard – can break new ground in North America.

Solbakken predicted Haaland would make a “very big impact” at his first major finals, and the City star was quick to deliver on that promise.

Antonio Nusa’s trickery was a problem for Iraq, and his incisive pass released the overlapping David Moller Wolfe clear before Haaland stretched to steer in the low cross from the left.

Iraq, who lost all their of group games on their only previous appearance, did not let that get to them as they equalised 10 minutes later.

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Amir Al-Ammari found space just inside the area and clipped in a cross, with Hussein rising brilliantly to power a header past Orjan Nyland.

But Iraq only had themselves to blame as they gift-wrapped Haaland’s second of the contest.

Goalkeeper Jalal Hassan was slow to react to a softly-hit backpass, his attempted clearance smacking off Haaland’s shin and ricocheting into the net.

Iraq again responded well, with Ibrahim Bayesh denied by a desperation block, Ali Al-Hamadi dribbling an effort wide and centre-back Akam Hashim lashing a spectacular volley just over the bar.

Ostigard nodded in Odegaard’s corner on 76 minutes to seal the points for Norway, before Haaland was thwarted by Hassan when another loose pass sent him clean through and seeking his hat-trick.

Haaland nonetheless had a hand in Norway’s late fourth, his looping header back across goal deflecting off Hussein before trickling over the line.

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Chess legend and avid football fan Magnus Carlsen predicted on Tuesday that Norway would “hammer” Iraq in their FIFA World Cup 2026 opener, and could go on to reach the quarter-finals.

The highest-ranked chess player of all time is in Hong Kong this week to play in the World Rapid and Blitz Team Chess Championships beginning Wednesday.

But the Norwegian and devoted football fan will push his preparation for the tournament to one side to keep a close eye on the World Cup, despite the time difference from North America, meaning some matches will kick off in the early hours.

Norway, back in the World Cup for the first time since 1998, begin their group campaign against Iraq at 6:00 am Hong Kong time on Wednesday (2200 GMT Tuesday).

Despite the early hour, Carlsen will be tuning in to watch his countrymen, spearheaded by talismanic attacker Erling Haaland, who loves a game of chess when not banging in goals.

“I will be up early anyway, so I will 100 percent watch the game live,” Carlsen told AFP.

Football follower Carlsen did not think the World Cup would be too distracting when his WR Team defend their world blitz crown this week and look to add the world rapid title.

“At this point, I don’t really wake up or stay up for World Cup games. But, when it’s Norway (I do) 100 percent,” added the five-time world champion, who is a huge fan of Real Madrid.

Football and chess have become surprise bedfellows in recent months, with many players at the World Cup taking to the ancient board game in their spare time.

Norway’s goalscorer Haaland has recently invested in a ground-breaking new chess tour.

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Egypt forward Mo Salah said he was “addicted” to the game, while Norway midfielder Martin Odegaard and England striker Eberechi Eze are keen players, with the latter winning an amateur tournament in 2025.

The games are more similar than people might think, said Carlsen.

“Strategy, chess and football, it’s not that different really,” he said. “It’s about trying to control certain areas. Of course, football is a much more dynamic game, and there are certain random elements that may come in.”

“But the core principles are the same, like being able to switch from one side to another, like often overloading and then switching the play, probing certain areas and controlling the middle.

“Certain teams, like Arsenal, like to have as little left to chance as possible and to have their gameplay resemble a game of chess.

“As much as I don’t like watching that team, I can appreciate the thought behind it.”

Magnus Carlsen has high hopes for Norway after they dominated a World Cup qualifying group containing Italy by winning all eight games to reach the finals for the first time in 28 years.

Haaland bagged 16 of free-scoring Norway’s 37 goals in their qualifying campaign, with many created by the midfield driven by Odegaard.

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Carlsen expects the goals to keep flowing from the chess-loving Norwegians.

“First of all, we will hammer Iraq in the first game and then we’ll pretty much be through after that,” Carlsen predicted.

Norway then face potentially tougher Group I games against Senegal and France, but the chess grandmaster expects them to reach the knockout phase.

“My current prediction is that we will make it to the round of 16 and, from there on, it’s probably we’re going to be slight underdogs,” he said.

Carlsen said it would be fascinating to measure Norway’s form against the world’s best at the global showpiece.

“I think it’s very hard to say, to be honest,” said Carlsen of what to expect from manager Stale Solbakken’s squad.

“I think there’s a very clear first tier of a few teams,” said Carlsen.

“And then I’m not sure whether Norway is kind of towards the bottom side of that second tier or we’re in the third tier. But I think the quarter-finals are a somewhat realistic goal and, you know, once you get there, anything can happen.”

READ: Iran forced to leave USA after New Zealand clash: coach

Norway’s Magnus Carlsen, the world’s number one chess player, on Tuesday won the World Blitz Championship in Doha, days after victory in the slightly longer ‘rapid’ format, to secure his 20th world title.

Carlsen, 35, beat Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov, 21, in the final, securing victory with black in the fourth and final game, after losing the first.

Blitz games are played with three minutes at the start for both players, plus an additional two seconds per move.

Carlsen almost failed to reach the semi-finals after suffering three defeats in the 19 qualifying games, finishing third in the standings.

He beat American Fabiano Caruana in the semis to take on Abdusattorov, rapid world champion in 2021.

On Sunday, Carlsen was crowned rapid world champion, where players have 15 minutes and 10 seconds added per move, finishing first in the regular standings, with the competition taking place without a final phase.

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The Nordic grandmaster now has nine blitz titles, six in rapid and five in the most prestigious longer format, which involves more than 10 games between the world champion and a challenger.

Magnus Carlsen relinquished his long-format crown in 2023, citing a lack of motivation. It is now held by India’s Dommaraju Gukesh.

In October, he and the International Chess Federation (FIDE) backed a new world championship format that sets the stage for his return.

The new “Total Chess World Championship Tour” will consist of four events a year and will crown one combined champion for three disciplines: fast classic, rapid and blitz.

A pilot version of the competition will be tested in the autumn of next year, with the first full season set for 2027.

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MILAN: Norway qualified for their first World Cup since 1998 after Erling Haaland struck again in a 4-1 thumping of Italy on Sunday, which sealed a spot in the 2026 edition in the United States of America (USA), Canada and Mexico.

Haaland scored the decisive brace in the space of seconds at a soaking San Siro for Norway, who completed Group I with a perfect 24 points from their eight qualifying matches.

Norway would have had to lose by nine goals or more in order to be overtaken by Italy for the group’s only automatic place for next summer’s finals in North America, but Stale Solbakken’s side gloriously ended their campaign in front of 70,000 people.

However, Solbakken was coy as to his powerful team’s chances now that a 28-year weight has come to an end.

Haaland’s father, Alf-Inge, was still an international player when Norway last competed in the World Cup 27 years ago, a tournament won by a Zinedine Zidane-inspired France.

 

And the Manchester City striker, called a “goal machine” by Solbakken, will be one of the players to watch in North America after smashing in 16 goals during qualifying.

The 25-year-old is averaging more than a goal a game for club and country this season and was typically ruthless when presented with his opportunities to both put Norway ahead and then double their lead in the 78th and 79th minutes.

Pio Esposito opened the scoring for Italy in the 11th minute, but once Antonio Nusa levelled with a thumping strike in the 63rd minute, there was only one team that looked like winning, and Jorgen Strand Larsen’s brilliant individual goal completed the rout in stoppage time.

Italy will head to the play-offs in March after finishing the group six points behind Norway following two bracing defeats to Solbakken’s team, and exited the San Siro field to a hail of whistles from the few home fans who had stayed until the end.

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