Stadium: Boston Stadium
Date: Tuesday , June 16
Kick-off Time: 11 p.m. BST
Match Preview
Iraq will play only it’s second world cup finals appearance in Group I having made there debut way back in 1986 when they finished bottom of the group with three defeats from three matches and only scoring one goal.
Iraq were the final Asian team to qualify for the tournament having beaten UAE over a two legged play-off 3-2 on Aggregate and then a 2-1 win over Bolivia. They have played a total of 21 Qualifiers to reach the Finals.
Norway are a nation on the up and it might have been a surprise for many they finished above Italy in qualifying but when you see the quality they possess in the squad it really shouldn’t be.
They finished that qualifying Group with a 100% record including a 3-0 home win over Italy & a resounding 4-1 win over The Azzuri in the San Siro in November. They finished with 37 goals across the eight games.
Stale Solbakken has been in charge of Landslaget since 2020 and has guided them up to 31st in the FIFA World Ranking and plenty of people think they are real dark horses for this Tournament.
It will be a first World Cup appearance since 1998 and they head into the Tournament on the back of a 3-1 victory over Sweden and a 1-1 draw with Morocco.
Team News Iraq
It will be a proud moment for Iraq captain Jalal Hassan when he leads his team into the World Cup. He will win his 103th cap
It may be a tough night trying to contain Erling Haaland and co but central defenders Zaid Tahseen and Rebin Sulaka will be relishing the chance to play against one of the best players in the world in Boston.
A familiar face to Man Utd fans in this Iraq side will be Zidane Iqbal, he was highly thought of at Old Trafford in his early years and is now forging out a career with Utrecht in Netherlands
Ipswich Striker Ali Al Hamadi will lead the line for Iraq hoping to create history for his Nation.
Team News Norway
Coach Solbakken can call on the experience of Dortmund defender Ryerson and Brentford’s Kristoffer Ajer in defence alongside Torbjorn Heggem.
Form
| Team | Latest Result | Form (Last 5) |
|---|---|---|
| Iraq | 0-2 vs Venezuela | L L W W D L |
| Norway | 1-1 vs Morocco | W W L D W D |
Possible Line Ups
Iraq (4-4-2)
Hassan; Ali, Tahseen, Sulaka, Doski; Al-Ammari, Iqbal; Bayesh, Jasim, Al-Hamadi; Hussein
Norway (4-2-3-1)
Nyland; Ryerson, Ajer, Heggem, Wolfe; Odegaard, Berge, Aursnes; Sorloth, Haaland, Nusa
Betting Odds
| Team | Odds | Bookmaker |
|---|---|---|
Iraq Win | 12/1 (13.00) | Grand Ivy |
| Draw | 11/2 (6.50) | Dream Vegas |
| Norway Win | 1/5 (1.20) | 247Bet |
We Predict.....
Iraq 0-3 Norway
Norway will have far too much quality for Iraq in Boston and its just a case of how many they win by.