The scoreline told one story, but Aymen Hussein has another to tell. He was on the losing side as Iraq suffered a 4-1 defeat by Norway in their World Cup opener, yet the prolific striker made his mark on football's biggest stage.

Hussein's superb header in the 39th minute cancelled out Erling Haaland's opener and gave the Iraq supporters a moment to cherish on the country's return to the tournament after 40 years. Though it ultimately proved only a consolation - and was later offset by his own goal - it was still just Iraq's second-ever World Cup finals goal.

He's that type of player who is very difficult to control in the box and I'm very happy and proud of him,

Yet, Hussein's journey to the World Cup is one that could easily have taken a different turn. Growing up in an Iraq where football offered moments of unity amid turmoil, the national team's 2007 Asian Cup triumph sparked celebrations across the country. The Iraqi players were semi-professionals forced to prepare for the tournament in Jordan due to a security crisis at home.

Hussein endured personal tragedy as well. At 12 years old, he lost his father, a soldier, to a violent attack, and later, his older brother was kidnapped during unrest.

I decided to quit playing football to take care of my family, but my mother refused,

The path has been anything but smooth; Hussein faced a significant disruption when he was detained for about seven hours at Chicago's O'Hare airport upon arriving in the United States earlier this month. However, when he rose to head past Norway goalkeeper Orjan Nyland, it was a proud moment for Hussein and his nation.