Haaland powers Norway’s 4-1 win, turning Foxborough rooting

Haaland powers – After Norway beat Iraq 4-1 on Tuesday night at the “Venue Temporarily Known As Boston Stadium,” the Haaland-led attack—plus Norway’s fan rituals—has turned a casual question in Foxborough into a real rooting choice heading into the next matches.

FOXBOROUGH — The question landed fast, almost as soon as Erling Haaland started closing in on another goal.

In a stadium labeled The Venue Temporarily Known As Boston Stadium. where the FIFA men’s World Cup portion of New England’s slate officially began Saturday night. Norway’s 4-1 victory over Iraq on Tuesday night made one thing feel immediate for fans filling seats in Foxborough: who are you actually pulling for now?.

Most people in the larger tournament narrative are expected to be rooting for the United States. which opened the World Cup with a 4-1 victory over Paraguay on Friday in Los Angeles. But this was different—less about the entire tournament and more about the crowd right here. inside the regional swirl of supporters now forming their own preferences.

Scotland arrived in Foxborough with momentum. Its Tartan Army has taken over Boston in ways that have been described as right and amusing. giving Scotland a head start winning locals. France has its own magnet—Kylian Mbappé—and is widely viewed as a favorite to win the whole thing. with a bandwagon that has few empty seats.

Still, for anyone who was undecided—someone drifting in as a lapsed or casual soccer fan looking to adopt a team over the next few weeks—Norway made a compelling case on Tuesday.

They did it before the match even began, when the team posed for its team photo in Viking regalia. The moment was framed as the greatest team photo taken in any sport since the San Diego Zoo’s Padres reportedly took theirs annually in the late ’70s. Once the players and fans were in motion. Norway’s “Viking row” cheer—where supporters roar and mime rowing a ship—showed up as an inspired signature. The cheering was described as something fans would break out nearly anytime and anywhere. including when the mood strikes on the escalator at South Station.

Then there was Haaland.

Norway’s 6-foot-5-inch scoring machine sits at the center of the argument for why to root for them, and it wasn’t just hype—he delivered the kind of performance that turns “Who ya got?” into a choice people can’t help but make.

This was Haaland’s first World Cup match. It was also Norway’s first men’s appearance since 1998. He came into the tournament having led the Premier League with 27 goals for Manchester City this season, and he had scored 16 in Norway’s eight qualifying matches.

Against Iraq, Haaland started his Golden Boot push with two goals, but early chances didn’t immediately go his way. At the 7-minute mark. he chased down a through-ball and tried to feed Fredrik Aursnes in front. only for Iraq goalkeeper Jalal Hassan to corral the cross. Thirteen minutes later, Haaland—left unmarked—sent a header over the net and into the stands.

The match stayed scoreless when the first hydration break arrived, followed by a commercial pause. During that break. the stadium public address system played Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ On A Prayer. ” a sound identified as an aural staple at Patriots games. For New England sports fans. it landed like a reminder of how many extraordinary players and games have played out in this region over the years.

Norway’s control shifted soon after. Haaland, described as looking like he could be auditioning to be a Hemsworth brother, was also compared as having the energy of a Norse Gronkowski after appearing with good-time antics on camera at a recent Carolina Hurricanes game.

When the second half of the moment finally turned into scoring, it happened quickly.

In the 29th minute, Haaland crashed the net and arrived in perfect sync with David Møller Wolfe’s cross to punch in Norway’s first goal. In the stands, much Viking rowing began at once—fans in the Norway section rowed together.

Iraq answered.

In the 39th minute, Iraq captain Aymen Hussein tied the score with a header. But Norway regained the lead—and held on to it—because Haaland swarmed an ill-advised back pass to Iraq’s keeper.

The second half brought two more Norway goals and kept the energy high for the fans filling the stadium in Haaland’s Norway and Manchester City jerseys. The scene was described as reminiscent of the familiar celebrations in this venue from fans in Brady. Maye. Gronk. and Moss jerseys. among others from past seasons.

The story is still unfolding. Norway’s next match is versus Senegal in New Jersey on June 22. Then it returns to Foxborough to face Mbappé and France on June 26.

On Tuesday night, Norway felt like the home team—not the Revolution, but something else entirely. In this World Cup stop, it looked like a different kind of football could still feel like the one you grew up with.

Erling Haaland Norway Iraq 2026 World Cup Foxborough Kylian Mbappé France Scotland Tartan Army Viking row Senegal