Was Norway's Third Goal Against Iraq a Mistake?

The third goal by the Norwegian team against Iraq sparked widespread controversy following the end of the match, which the Vikings won 4-1 in the opening of Group Nine matches in the 2026 World Cup. Former Egyptian international referee Gamal Al-Ghandour confirmed that the goal had 'a suspicion of invalidity' due to a foul committed by Erling Haaland inside the penalty area.

The match, held at 'Gillette' Stadium in Boston, saw Norwegian dominance in the second half. In the 76th minute, the referee awarded a corner kick to the Vikings. The ball was delivered inside the Lions of Mesopotamia's penalty area, and amid the crowd, Haaland forcefully pushed one of Iraq's defenders before the ball reached Leo Ostigard's head, who did not hesitate to put it in the net, announcing the third goal.

In his analysis of the incident on the winwin platform, Al-Ghandour explained that the scene of the third goal 'was not refereed correctly.' He confirmed that the Manchester City striker committed a clear foul on an Iraqi defender inside the area before the ball reached him, which should have prompted referee Pierre Achou to award a foul in favor of Iraq and cancel the goal.

The Egyptian referee added: 'Haaland used excessive force to push the defender and prevent him from jumping. This is a clear foul in football and does not require discretion. The referee should have stopped the game and either retaken the corner kick or awarded a foul.'

The incident reignited the debate about the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology in the World Cup, especially after the criticism it faced in the Qatar-Switzerland match due to a Swiss goal surrounded by offside doubts. The lack of intervention by the room in Haaland's scene surprised observers, as it seemed that the room, led by Saudi Abdullah Al-Shahri and Qatari Khamis Al-Marri, did not see Haaland's push as warranting the cancellation of the goal.

The result placed Iraq at the bottom of Group Nine with no points, while Norway topped the group with three points, ahead of France, which defeated Senegal 3-1 to take second place, while Senegal dropped to third place with one point.