Iraq and Norway played to a 0-0 draw in their opening match of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. This marks Iraq’s return to World Cup competition after a 40-year absence. The match, played on June 17th, saw Iraq facing a challenging opponent in Norway in Group I. Despite being considered underdogs, Iraq managed to secure a point against the European side. The result raises questions about potential upsets within the Asian qualifying groups. This draw could be considered a surprising outcome for some observers, hinting at a potentially competitive qualifying campaign for Iraq. The game took place at 5:00 PM local time.