World Cup Day 11: Haaland Opens with a Brace, England Faces Croatia Tonight, and Iraq's 40-Year Wait Is Over

The tournament kicked off June 11, and Wednesday, June 17 (BST) is set to be a landmark day — with individual stars expected to take center stage.

Haaland Poised for World Cup Debut

Norway are scheduled to face Iraq on Wednesday, and all eyes will be on Erling Haaland making his World Cup finals debut. The 25-year-old already boasts hat-tricks on his Champions League debut, his Bundesliga debut, and a double on his Premier League debut, according to BBC Sport. Solbakken's side will be looking to the striker to deliver on the biggest stage.

For Iraq, the appearance itself is already a milestone. Iraq's national team had not played a World Cup match since 1986, a 40-year drought that NPR documented through the Iraqi diaspora in Dearborn, Michigan, home to one of the largest Iraqi communities in the country. Waad Sana, who opened a soccer store in 1986 after watching that squad compete, told NPR he has been fielding roughly 100 calls a day from fans seeking Iraq jerseys. The Lions of Mesopotamia are back.

Mbappe Could Become France's All-Time Leading Scorer

France are also in action on Wednesday against Senegal, and Kylian Mbappe has a chance to overtake Olivier Giroud as France's all-time record scorer. Mbappe currently sits at 56 international goals in 97 appearances. He is 27.

Giroud is expected to be working as a pundit for BBC One during the match.

Mbappe currently sits at 12 World Cup goals, four behind Germany's Miroslav Klose, who holds the all-time record at 16. French football analyst Julien Laurens has told BBC Sport he believes Mbappe will finish as the greatest French player in history, ahead of Zidane and Platini, given that he has at least one more World Cup cycle ahead.

England vs. Croatia: Tonight in Dallas

England's Group L opener against Croatia is scheduled for 21:00 BST at AT&T Stadium in Dallas. Temperatures outside will exceed 30°C at kickoff, according to BBC Sport, though the stadium is air-conditioned.

Manager Thomas Tuchel, speaking at his pre-match press conference, said he will not change England's physical, high-intensity style to accommodate the heat. "I'm just not ready to adapt into a different style of football because of circumstances that we cannot influence," he told BBC Sport. "I think we would just give up our strengths."

The mandatory hydration breaks introduced for all matches will apply here too, effectively splitting each half into roughly two segments. Tuchel acknowledged those three-minute intervals allow coaches to "change and reset" and deliver "group messages," which is a tactical wrinkle every team is navigating.

England fans in Dallas reported paying around £850 per ticket, according to BBC News, with at least one supporter noting the prices have "priced out" some travelers.

The Strongest Counterargument on Tuchel's Approach

Tuchel's commitment to an unchanged style is defensible on paper, but it carries real risk. The opening week of this tournament saw eight draws in 16 games, suggesting that high-intensity teams pressing in heat are more vulnerable to fatigue and individual errors than Tuchel is letting on. Critics with genuine standing would argue that tactically flexible managers historically outperform ideologues at knockout tournaments. Tuchel's response is that the Dallas venue reduces the heat variable. Whether AT&T Stadium's climate control is sufficient, and whether England's fitness holds over multiple matches in varying conditions, is a question this tournament will answer.

Partey Situation Has Not Changed

Thomas Partey remains barred from Canada after a federal court in Ottawa rejected Ghana's appeal. According to BBC Sport, the court found "no serious issue in the underlying refusal" and cited Partey's failure to disclose multiple criminal charges for sexual violence in the UK, charges he has pleaded not guilty to with a trial scheduled for next year. Ghana faces Panama in Toronto without him.

The Food Is Working

On a lighter note, NPR documented international fans discovering American roadside culture in week two: Buc-ee's, Waffle House, free soda refills, Nashville hot chicken. Japanese sports journalist Tatsuya Takeuchi told NPR the local food recommendations from strangers on social media led him directly to hot chicken, and Scottish fan Shaun Alexander described the warmth he encountered in Texas as "remarkable."

England has not won a World Cup since 1966 and has lost or drawn every major final since. Tuchel's squad is young and untested at this level. Croatia reached the World Cup final in 2018. Whether Tuchel's physical approach survives contact with a tactically disciplined Croatian side in the opening match will set the tone for England's tournament.