Norway end a 28-year World Cup absence at Gillette Stadium on Tuesday, June 16 at 6:00 PM ET / 5:00 PM CT / 4:00 PM MT / 3:00 PM PT, with Iraq the Group I opponent waiting for them in Foxborough.
Two long-lost names walk back into the tournament on the same night. Iraq haven’t been at a World Cup since 1986. Norway haven’t been at one since 1998. The shared backstory is the warm part of the evening; everything that follows it tilts hard one way.
Erling Haaland finally has his World Cup stage. Norway swept their UEFA qualifying group, and Iraq, the 48th and last team through the door, line up as deep underdogs against a frontline that buried Italy 4-1 on the road to North America.
bet365 has the Norwegians at -450 on the moneyline, the draw at +525 and Iraq priced out at +1100. The number tells the story honestly. There’s still the small matter of an opener’s nerves and a Lions of Mesopotamia side built to absorb pressure, which keeps the goal markets a little more interesting than the result one.
Iraq vs Norway: Best Bets & Predictions
The shortlist below leans on Norway’s control of the game rather than a goal-fest. Iraq’s plan should be to sit deep, soak it up and pick their moment, and the totals price that picture.
| Our Prediction | Odds & Sportsbook | Confidence | Why We’re Backing It |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norway to Win | -450 @ bet365 (82%) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Eight wins from eight in qualifying and 37 goals scored along the way; Iraq’s level simply does not match this attacking ceiling. |
| Correct Score: 2-0 Norway | +5000 @ bet365 (2%) | ⭐⭐ | A measured two-goal margin and a clean sheet fits an Iraq camp that will pack the area and try to ride out the wave. |
| Erling Haaland anytime scorer | Check bet365 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 16 qualifying goals, double anyone else in Europe; the Manchester City man walks out as Norway’s clear-cut first option in front of goal. |
| Under 2.5 Goals | +130 @ bet365 (43%) | ⭐⭐⭐ | World Cup openers with a clear favourite tend to settle into a slow rhythm, and Iraq’s first job is to keep the scoreboard quiet. |
| Both Teams to Score: No | -175 @ bet365 (64%) | ⭐⭐⭐ | One goal across two intercontinental play-off legs against Bolivia tells you Iraq’s edge is at the back, not in front of it. |
Stacking it up: Norway’s moneyline is the anchor, Haaland anytime is the natural add, and the totals pair gives a route into the cagey, favourite-led script we expect.
Odds correct at the time of writing. Please play responsibly.
Group I — 2026 FIFA World Cup
France and Senegal complete the group, which means second place is the realistic prize. The standings below show the seeding order; nothing has been played yet.
| Team | Pos | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| France | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Senegal | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Norway | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Iraq | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Potential Match-Winners
- Erling Haaland (Norway): 16 goals in World Cup qualifying — twice anyone else’s tally in Europe — and he arrives in Foxborough as the centrepiece of a Manchester City forward profile he has been refining for three seasons. The headline name, on debut, and rightly so.
- Alexander Sørloth (Norway): 13 La Liga goals for Atletico Madrid this season made him the club’s top scorer, and his presence gives the Norwegians a second penalty-box specialist when Haaland drifts wide or drops to link play.
- Martin Ødegaard (Norway): Arsenal’s captain wears the same armband for his country. The number 10 role is his, and the through-balls into Haaland and Sørloth start with him.
- Ali Al-Hamadi (Iraq): Scored the opener in the 2-1 intercontinental play-off win over Bolivia that sent Iraq to North America. With limited possession likely on Tuesday, the central striker has to make every touch count.
Head-to-Head
There is no previous senior meeting to lean on. Iraq and Norway have never faced each other in a competitive fixture or a friendly, so Foxborough is the first page of that history.
Form Coming Into the Tournament
Norway are walking in with momentum that almost feels generational. Eight wins from eight UEFA qualifiers, 37 goals scored, and a statement 4-1 victory away in Italy with Haaland scoring twice. After 28 years away, Ødegaard’s side land as one of the most feared attacking units in the bracket.
Iraq’s path took a different shape. Forty years on from their last appearance, they squeezed through as the final qualifier via a 2-1 intercontinental play-off win over Bolivia in Monterrey, with Al-Hamadi and Aymen Hussein on the scoresheet. Organized at the back and stubborn in midfield, but the gap in attacking pedigree is the obvious worry.
Iraq vs Norway Prediction
The shape of the night points to a managed Norwegian win rather than a procession. Iraq won’t open up, Norway don’t need them to, and our call is a comfortable result without much for the bookkeepers to chase late on. Take Norway to win at -450 with bet365. For the bigger picture, the World Cup 2026 outright odds page tracks where the title race sits, and the bet365 Canada review is worth a look before you place anything. Group I has another angle worth a read in our Mexico vs South Africa preview, and the soccer predictions hub carries the rest of the matchday slate. Kick-off is 6:00 PM ET at Gillette Stadium.
Odds correct at the time of writing. Please play responsibly.
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