It has been 28 years since Norway last appeared at a FIFA World Cup, dating back to France 1998. During that time, an entire generation of Norwegian football fans has waited to see their national team return to football’s biggest stage.
Led by a talented squad featuring stars such as Erling Haaland, Martin Ødegaard, and Antonio Nusa, Norway arrive at World Cup 2026 with high expectations after an impressive qualifying campaign.
Their opening Group I match comes against Iraq, who are making only their second World Cup appearance after previously qualifying in 1986.
Although Iraq earned headlines by holding Spain to a 1-1 draw earlier this month, their subsequent 2-0 defeat to Venezuela suggested they are still vulnerable against quality opposition.
Full-Match Corner Analysis
Norway’s recent friendly results were mixed (1 win, 2 draws, 1 defeat), but their corner statistics remained highly consistent.
Key numbers:
- Norway averaged nearly 6 corners per match across their last four games.
- Iraq earned only 2, 3, 3, and 2 corners respectively in their last four outings.
- Norway’s attacking style should generate sustained pressure and territorial dominance.
Given the expected game flow, Norway are well-positioned to dominate the corner count.
Full-Time Corner Pick
Pick: Norway Corner Handicap & Under Total Corners
First-Half Corner Analysis
Despite being a Scandinavian side, Norway’s current generation prefers possession-based football and patient build-up play rather than direct attacking.
That style has produced relatively modest first-half corner totals:
- Only 2 of Norway’s last 10 matches went Over the first-half corner line.
- Iraq recorded no more than one first-half corner in six of their last eight matches.
- Norway should control possession and territory from the opening whistle.
First-Half Corner Pick
Pick: Norway First-Half Corner Handicap & Under First-Half Corners
Team News
Iraq
Iraq are expected to field a full-strength lineup featuring veteran goalkeeper Jalal Hassan and attacking trio Ibrahim Bayesh, Ali Jasim, and Ali Al-Hamadi.
Norway
Norway have all key players available, including:
- Erling Haaland
- Martin Ødegaard
- Antonio Nusa
- Alexander Sørloth
Probable Lineups
Iraq
Jalal Hassan; Ali, Tahseen, Frans Putros Sulaka, Merchas Doski; Osama Al-Ammari, Ali Jasim Iqbal; Ibrahim Bayesh, Ali Jasim, Ali Al-Hamadi; Aymen Hussein.
Norway
Ørjan Nyland; Julian Ryerson, Kristoffer Ajer, Torbjørn Heggem, David Møller Wolfe; Martin Ødegaard, Sander Berge, Fredrik Aursnes; Alexander Sørloth, Erling Haaland, Antonio Nusa.
Recommended Corner Bets
Full Match
- Norway Corner Handicap
- Under Total Corners
First Half
- Norway First-Half Corner Handicap
- Under First-Half Corners
Expected Corner Count
Norway 6–8 corners | Iraq 2–3 corners
Norway are likely to control possession, attack consistently through the flanks, and spend long periods in Iraq’s half. While Iraq may remain compact defensively, their recent corner numbers suggest they could struggle to keep pace in the corner markets, making Norway the preferred selection for both full-match and first-half corner handicaps.