Haaland's Dream Debut! A Brace Sets Four Records, Leads Team to World Cup's Biggest Win and Overtakes France in Group Standings

In the first round of Group I at, June 17, Beijing time, World Cup Group I match, Norway secured a 4-1 win over Iraq, celebrating their return to the tournament after 28 years with an impressive start.

In this match, the 25-year-old Norwegian star Haaland shone in his World Cup debut with two goals, earning him the title of the team's most valuable player in their victory.

Perhaps due to his first appearance on the World Cup stage, Haaland was initially not very active initially. However, as a world-class striker, he quickly adapted. In the 29th minute, Haaland seized an opportunity. Teammate Wolfer sent a low cross into the box, and Haaland used his exceptional physicality to slide in and score at the far post, giving Norway the lead.

Although Iraq equalized 10 minutes later, , 10 minutes later, in the 43rd minute, Iraqi goalkeeper Jalal Hassan made a mistake in possession near his goal. Haaland quickly pressed and knocked the ball into the net, restoring Norway's advantage.

In the second half, Haaland nearly completed a hat trick. In the 82nd minute, he intercepted the ball and broke through on goal, only for his shot to be saved by Jalal Hassan.

In the dying moments of the game, Haaland's header set up an own goal for the opposition. Despite missing out on a hat trick, scoring twice in his World Cup debut was a dream start for Haaland.

According to post-match statistics, Haaland had 6 shots, 4 on target, and scored 2 goals, earning the highest rating of 8.2. Unsurprisingly, he was named the official Man of the match.

Haaland also set several records. First, he became the first Norwegian player to score a brace in a World Cup match. Previously, Norway had scored only 6 goals in 8 World Cup appearances.

Second, Haaland tied with Rekdal as Norway's all-time top scorer in World Cup history.

Third, Haaland has scored an astonishing 57 goals in 51 appearances for the national team, making him the first player since Gerd Müller (who scored 62 goals in his first 51 matches for Germany) to achieve at least 57 goals in his first 51 international games.

Fourth, thanks to Haaland's outstanding performance, Norway scored 4 goals in a single World Cup match for the first time in their history, surpassing their previous record of 2 goals. This victory also allowed Norway to overtake France and temporarily lead the group standings.