ERLING HAALAND launched himself on the World Cup with a trademark two- goal salvo – as the race for the Golden Ball began in earnest.
Just a couple of hours after Kylian Mbappe’s double sank Senegal for France, the Manchester City man responded with a pair of his own.
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Erling Haaland was in dominant form as Norway powered past Iraq in their World Cup opener Credit: Reuters
The forward benefited from a goalkeeper howler to bag his second goal in the first half alone Credit: Getty
It was a statement of intent as the battle to be the top scorer threatened to be one for the ages.
England will hope that Harry Kane can strut his stuff in Dallas tonight.
But in Boston, it was all about the boy with the long hair, with his goals coming either side of a brilliant headed equaliser by Aymen Hussein, although he was gifted the second by a howler from Iraqi keeper Jalal Hassan.
Then again, when you are faced with 6ft 4in and 15st of pure muscle, there’s a reason to be scared out of your boots – and Hassan’s nightmare clearance back into his own net off Haaland’s giant frame came because of that intimidation factor.
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Iraq, to their credit, kept going, coming close to a second leveller on three occasions before substitute Leo Ostigard headed home a corner from Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard to confirm the win.
Yet this was all about the Haaland, who made his own gesture before even kicking a ball on the grandest platform.
The Manchester City man chose to add his middle name “Braut” – his mother’s maiden name – to the surname on the back of his shirt.
Admittedly, for the “first quarter”, he seemed to be suffering from a little stage fright.
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There was one strong run down the right early on, after a flick sent him away, only for the low cross towards Fredrik Aursnes to be too close to Hassan.
The keeper, surely, would have been expecting to be busy.
Instead, by that initial time-out hydration break, he had merely watched Haaland head over the bar and gathered easily from a deflected header by Alexander Sorloth.
Unfortunately, the next time he touched the ball was to fish it out of his net and Haaland struck in typical predatory fashion.
Straight from the restart, Norway switched the ball left, left back David Moller Wolfe overlapped Antonio Nusa to cross low and Haaland was there at the back post, snaking out a long left leg to nudge it home from a couple of yards.
Relief and delight were written all over his face. Off the mark, the pressure released. More Viking roars as the Norwegian fans “rowed” in their seats, the “thunderclap” following soon afterwards.
Yet Iraq, against all odds, responded with a gem of a goal.
Amir Al-Ammari, who plays for Krakow in Poland, got in down the left and floated to the back stick, where Hussein rose beautifully for a downward header that powered past Orjan Nyland.
Iraq’s Aymen Hussein powered a neat header into the bottom corner Credit: AP
The team’s celebrations were understandably bursting with energy Credit: Getty
Sadly for Iraq, their own keeper was more fallible, scared out of his wits as Haaland bore down on a poor and short back pass, before timidly, almost as if trying to get out of his way, hitting a panicked clearance back against the Norwegian and back into the net.
Yet Graham Arnold’s men then, remarkably, dominated added time with THREE chances.
Moller Wolfe threw himself in front of Ibrahim Bayesh’s volley, Ipswich striker Ali Al Hamadi dragged wide and, with the final kick, Akam Hashim’s thunderous volley looked to have gone in as the net rippled.
It had actually hit it on the way back after clearing the bar by an inch or two.
Leo Ostigard sealed three points with a towering header Credit: Reuters
Even so, it was proof that Norway needed a third to feel comfortable, with the only real shots before the final forced break coming from Iraq, Hussein and right back Hussain Ali both going close without being able to hit the target.
Once again, though the pause brought a momentum change, as that third goal came shortly afterwards.
Haaland was hauling his marker to the ground as Odegaard’s inswinging corner was delivered from the right but nobody picked up Ostigard as he stormed in to nod home.
Enough to slay, eventually, the “Lions of Mesopotamia”, confirmed in the sixth minute of stoppage time, Thorsvedt – son of former Spurs keeper Erik – being initially credited with the final touch, though it was eventually attributed to goalscorer Hussein.
But they had played their part, even if it was Haaland who was the king of the jungle.
