Thorstvedt Fires 90th-Minute Shot Into Side Netting for Norway

Q: Despite Haaland’s debut brace, could a last-minute miss and key injury derail Norway's World Cup start?

No. The evidence points to a strong opening for Norway rather than a derailed one, even if the finish was untidy. Haaland’s World Cup debut brace put Norway in control, and Leo Østigård’s header added a third in a 3-1 win over Iraq. The late chance at 90+1, when Andreas Schjelderup created for Kristian Thorstvedt and the shot hit the side netting, was a missed opportunity to pad the margin, not a moment that changed the result. The injury concern in the closing stages was also not to a Norwegian key player. It was Iraq striker Aymen Hussein who went down after being caught between jumping Norway players, which may have extended stoppage time beyond the original six minutes. Hussein is a major figure for Iraq, but his knock does not suggest Norway suffered the kind of late setback that would undermine its own start. The more relevant medium-term issue for Norway remains Martin Ødegaard’s fitness history, which had been a talking point before the tournament, though he and Haaland were reported fit for this opener. Unless fresh information emerges about Ødegaard or another Norwegian starter, there is no clear sign from this match that injury has derailed Norway. What the game did show is that Norway can score through Haaland and from set pieces, but also that they were not fully clinical late on and still allowed Iraq moments, including Hussein’s goal.

Q: After airport detention and a crucial goal, will an injury now sideline Iraq's World Cup hero Aymen Hussein?

No confirmed report shows Aymen Hussein has been sidelined, but there is a fresh injury concern after Iraq’s match with Norway. Hussein, Iraq’s key striker and the scorer of the goal that helped send the team to the 2026 World Cup, was fit to play despite being detained for nearly seven hours at Chicago O’Hare earlier in the tournament buildup. He also made a major impact against Norway, scoring with a powerful header to level the match. The new concern came late in stoppage time. Hussein appeared to be in pain after being caught between two jumping Norwegian players, an incident serious enough to raise the possibility of added time beyond the original six minutes. The match report describes visible discomfort, but it does not provide a medical diagnosis or any official update from Iraq’s staff. So, at this stage, the evidence points to uncertainty rather than a confirmed absence. Before the Norway game, Iraq had reported no injury concerns and Hussein had trained fully. After this latest knock, whether he is sidelined will depend on post-match assessment and any statement from the Iraqi team. For now, the most accurate answer is that Hussein is not confirmed out, but Iraq will be anxiously awaiting medical news on one of their most important players.

3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jun 16

90+1 minutes brought Norway a late opening when Schjelderup burst down the left, beat his defender and the loose ball fell to Thorstvedt, whose shot struck the side netting.
Schjelderup’s run created the chance after a long ball released him into space, but Thorstvedt could not turn it into a stoppage-time breakthrough.
Six minutes of added time were signaled, with a further delay possible after Hussein was left in discomfort following a collision between leaping Norway players.