After a 28-year absence that spanned an entire generation, Norway returns to the World Cup stage on Tuesday with a squad widely regarded as the country’s most gifted in decades. The Scandinavians stormed through European qualifying with a perfect record, winning all eight matches and delivering a seismic 4-1 victory over Italy in Milan. That campaign, built on a devastatingly efficient attack, has transformed Norway from perennial underachievers into a team many analysts in Europe believe could disrupt the established order. The strategy, as manager Ståle Solbakken candidly put it, is refreshingly direct: “We’re going to give the ball to Haaland.” The Manchester City striker arrives in the United States having scored 16 goals in those qualifiers, fresh from a 27-goal Premier League season that earned him a third Golden Boot in four years.

Their opening fixture against Iraq at the Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, carries immediate weight. Group I also includes France, the 2018 champions and 2022 finalists, and a physically imposing Senegal side, meaning any slip-up against the group’s perceived outsider could prove fatal to knockout-round ambitions. Latin American observers note that Iraq’s preparation has been uneven: a creditable 1-1 draw with Spain was followed by a 2-0 loss to Venezuela. Norway, by contrast, enter the tournament buoyed by a 3-1 friendly dismantling of Sweden. The match kicks off at 19:00 local time, with broadcasters across the Americas and Europe carrying the contest live, a measure of the global curiosity surrounding Haaland’s long-awaited World Cup debut.

Yet beyond the tactical calculus, a more personal narrative surfaced on the eve of the match. In an exclusive interview, Haaland made what was described as an emotional admission about his journey to football’s grandest stage, reframing a story that had previously been told largely through the lens of goals and records. At 25, the striker is no longer merely a prodigy but the talisman of a nation that has waited since 1998 to reclaim its place among the elite. He is flanked by Arsenal’s Martin Ødegaard, Atlético Madrid’s Alexander Sørloth, and the emerging Antonio Nusa, a supporting cast that lends Norway a depth unfamiliar in previous eras. Viewed from London, where Haaland’s club exploits are dissected weekly, the question is not whether he can score, but whether his international teammates can consistently supply him against the world’s best defences.

Forward-looking assessments from Washington and beyond suggest that Norway’s trajectory hinges on this opening contest. A victory over Iraq would not only bank three vital points but also inject momentum ahead of daunting clashes with France and Senegal. The broader context of a tournament featuring Kylian Mbappé, a 38-year-old Lionel Messi chasing history, and a 41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo pursuing an elusive trophy only sharpens the sense of a generational shift. For Haaland and his cohort, the World Cup is no longer a distant dream but an immediate proving ground. How they handle the pressure in a suburban Boston stadium will offer the first real indication of whether this golden generation can convert promise into lasting legacy.