Sprinkler malfunctions at halftime of Iraq-Norway World Cup match at Gillette Stadium
Workers try and remove water dry the pitch after a sprinkler malfunctioned during halftime of the World Cup Group I soccer match between Iraq and Norway in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Tuesday, June 16, 2026. Credit: AP/Charles Krupa
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — A sprinkler malfunctioned at Gillette Stadium during halftime of the World Cup match between Iraq and Norway on Tuesday.
A large stream of water spurted for several seconds from a sprinkler on the edge of the area in front of the goal in which Erling Haaland scored twice to give Norway a 2-1 halftime lead.
The rest of the sprinklers appeared to work as expected, but all of them had to be turned off to prevent further damage from the malfunctioning one.
The grass appeared discolored around the offending sprinkler head as groundskeepers ran out to attend to the problem. Staff sloshed through the area with buckets and tools to disperse the water to other parts of the field.
The affected part of the field appeared to be back to normal by the time the players emerged for the second half.
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