Norway will play World Cup football for the first time since 1998 this evening as they face Iraq.
After 28 years of watching on from the sidelines, the nation has assembled a brilliant side chock full of Premier League talent, spearheaded by the talismanic Erling Haaland.
He is fresh off the back of another rousing Manchester City campaign, where he scored 27 goals in the league alone, and will be more than happy to carry that form into the summer.
Norway, if nothing else, are spoiled for striker talent. Joining Haaland up top are Atletico Madrid’s Alexander Sorloth and Crystal Palace’s Jorgen Strand Larsen, who will be keen to impress newly-appointed manager Pierre Sage.
Elsewhere, Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard will pull the strings from midfield, with Brentford’s Kristoffer Ajer shoring up the back line.
Iraq’s prospects for this tournament are not terribly lofty. They won just one of three warm-up friendlies, beating Andorra before drawing with Spain and losing to Venezuela.
The so-called Lions of Mesopotamia were put through a fraught, circuitous qualification process but have reached world football’s top table and will be desperate to give the fans back home something to cheer about.
How to watch Iraq vs Norway
TV channel: In the UK, the game will be televised live on BBC One, with coverage starting at 10.45pm ahead of an 11pm kick-off.
Live stream: UK viewers can also catch the contest live online via BBC iPlayer.
Free highlights: World Cup highlights are available on FIFA’s official YouTube channel, along with BBC iPlayer, the ITVX app and their websites.
