At Gillette Stadium in Boston, Iraq face Norway in their opening Group I fixture at the FIFA World Cup. Norway are widely tipped to control the match, thanks to their star duo, Erling Haaland and Martin Ødegaard, leading a dynamic attack.
Iraq will aim to stay organised at the back and frustrate their opponents, hoping to grind out a result against one of the group favourites.
Have a read of our Iraq vs Norway prediction before you decide on your bet.
Iraq vs Norway prediction for the 2026 World Cup
Both nations begin their 2026 World Cup here, with no head-to-head history to lean on. For bettors, this is as open as it gets, and the odds mirror that uncertainty.
Take a look at our top Iraq vs Norway prediction:
BTTS - No
Who are the favourites?
Based on the leading UK-licensed bookmakers, Norway is tipped to come out on top, with 45% of the odds leaning towards their win.
Looking for more? Browse all the World Cup odds and dig into this and other ties from the planet's biggest football tournament.
Iraq vs Norway: head-to-head
Iraq and Norway share no recent head-to-head record, so this is effectively their first meeting in years.
Iraq: opening the 2026 World Cup
Iraq make their FIFA World Cup bow having already logged 24 match(es) in 2026 in the build-up. Here is how they have fared:
14 win(s), 6 draw(s) and 4 loss(es)
34 goals scored (1.42 per game)
17 goals conceded (0.71 per game)
Players to watch for Iraq National Team
Leading scorer: Aymen Hussein with 8 goal(s)
Most assists: Amir Al-Ammari with 4
Norway: opening the 2026 World Cup
Norway step out at the FIFA World Cup for the first time this edition after 12 match(es) in 2026.
Here is the Norway National Team record:
This year so far
9 win(s), 2 draw(s) and 1 loss(es)
42 goals scored (3.5 per game)
9 goals conceded (0.75 per game)
Players to watch for Norway National Team
Leading scorer: Erling Haaland with 16 goal(s)
Most assists: Martin Ødegaard with 7
Iraq vs Norway statistics at the 2026 FIFA World Cup
Before you stake anything, look over the side-by-side comparison that sheds light on each nation's current form for this World Cup tie:
Iraq
International - World Cup
Norway
International - World Cup
Iraq vs Norway probable lineups
See the likely starting eleven below for our Iraq vs Norway prediction at the 2026 World Cup.
Norway: Ørjan Nyland, Julian Ryerson, Kristoffer Ajer, Torbjørn Heggem, David Møller Wolfe, Martin Ødegaard, Sander Berge, Fredrik Aursnes, Alexander Sørloth, Erling Haaland, Antonio Nusa
Iraq: Jalal Hassan, Hussein Ali, Zaid Tahseen, Rebin Sulaka, Merchas Doski, Amir Al-Ammari, Zidane Iqbal, Ibrahim Bayesh, Ali Jasim, Ali Al-Hamadi, Aymen Hussein
How to watch Iraq vs Norway live in the UK
Find out below where you can catch Iraq vs Norway live during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Just remember, kick-off is at 23:00 UK time.
For the full schedule, check our our World Cup live streaming page.
More betting tips for this match
Alongside the main tip given at the top of this article, here are some other strong bets for Iraq vs Norway:
Further 2026 World Cup predictions
Browse all of our 2026 FIFA World Cup predictions and keep up with the sharpest analysis from start to finish of the tournament.
Match details: Iraq vs Norway
🆚 Fixture Iraq vs Norway
🏆 Tournament 2026 FIFA World Cup
📅 Date Tuesday, 16/06/2026
🕐 Kick-off 23:00 UK time
🏟️ Venue Gillette Stadium
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Sports betting analyst with over ten years of experience in football analysis, match statistics and betting markets.