Iraq vs. Norway Odds, Picks & Predictions - Group I, 06/16

The opening matches of group play in the 2026 World Cup continues with a Group I matchup as Iraq takes on Norway Tuesday evening and we have you covered with our Iraq vs. Norway prediction. Iraq fell 2-0 to Venezuela in their final international friendly ahead of the World Cup in their previous match last Tuesday. Norway drew Morocco 1-1 in their final international friendly last Sunday. This marks the first time that the two sides have met in World Cup play. Let’s break down this Iraq vs. Norway matchup.

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Iraq Looking for First World Cup Win

Iraq had a long and winding road to earn the 48th and final spot in the World Cup. They played a staggering 21 matches in qualifying, capped by a 2-1 win over Bolivia in the inter-confederation playoffs March 31. The Lions of Mesopotamia make their second all-time World Cup appearance here and their first since 1986. Iraq enters this contest seeking their first World Cup victory here. They dropped their three previous contests, getting outscored by a margin of 4-1, in their last run here. Iraq enters the World Cup ranked 57th in the FIFA world rankings.

In their final tuneup ahead of the World Cup, Iraq struggled to do much offensively as they were blanked by Venezuela. The Lions of Mesopotamia need a better showing offensively if they hope to earn a victory here. Iraq had their issues when it came to their physical play. While Venezuela had four yellow cards, Iraq had a yellow card and Ali Yousif picked up a red card in the 72nd minute. Iraq gave up a goal in the 17th minute and trailed by that 1-0 margin at the half. Immediately after the half, Iraq gave up a goal in the 46th minute to trail 2-0. They were unable to generate any offensive production of their own and went down in defeat.

Jalal Hassan projects for his World Cup debut in this contest for the Lions of Mesopotamia. He made 23 appearances, 22 starts, for Iraq in World Cup qualifying. Hassan owns a record of 15 wins, four draws and three losses in those outings. He recorded 13 clean sheets in those contests.

Norway Primed to Make an Impact

Norway cruised into the World Cup as they won UEFA Group I with a record of eight wins, no draws and no losses. The Landslaget pummeled the opposition by a collective margin of 37-5 to win the group. Norway makes their fourth World Cup appearance overall and their first appearance since 1998. The Landslaget enter this match holding a record of two wins, three draws and three losses. Striker Erling Haaland leads his squad looking for a big showing. Norway enters this match ranked 31st in the FIFA rankings.

Against Morocco, Norway battled with a side ranked in the top ten in the world and came away with a draw. The Landslaget held a slight advantage in terms of possession. However, they fell 13-9 in shot attempts and 5-2 in shots on goal in the match. Norway struggled early as Morocco came out flying. They gave up a goal in the eighth minute and trailed by that 1-0 margin at intermission. In the second half, after both sides had made substitutions, Martin Ødegaard tallied the tying goal in the 75th minute. Oscar Bobb assisted on the marker. Neither team scored or mounted a threat the rest of the way. Therefore, the match wound up as a draw.

Ørjan Nyland makes his World Cup debut in this contest for the Landslaget. He made 14 appearances in the World Cup qualifying round in his career. Nyland has a record of 11 wins, two draws and one loss in those outings. In addition, he logged seven clean sheets in those contests.

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Iraq vs. Norway Prediction

Neither side has much in the way of success in the World Cup. This is Iraq’s first appearance in the tournament since 1986 while Norway checks in for the first time since 1998 here. While there is the cautionary tale of Spain’s scoreless draw with Cape Verde Monday afternoon, backing Norway is the p\ay here. Haaland was dynamic in the Premier League, scoring 27 goals for Man City this season. Iraq doesn’t have weapons to compete. Look for Haaland to score and potentially tally a brace as Norway opens their group stage with a victory.

Our Prediction: Norway -1.5 (DraftKings, -170)

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