Iraq are back at the World Cup for the first time since 1986, and for only the second time in their history, after surviving one of the longest qualification routes to North America.
Graham Arnold’s side head into the 2026 finals with a team that reflects the many identities of Iraq, with Arabs, Kurds, Chaldeans and Assyrians coming together under one shirt. Their path will not be easy, having been drawn into one of the toughest groups in the tournament. They will be desperate to prove they belong.
How Iraq qualified for the 2026 World Cup
Iraq’s place at the 2026 World Cup was secured only after a gruelling qualification campaign that stretched across 21 matches. They moved through the early Asian stages but missed out on direct qualification in the third round, where South Korea and Jordan took the automatic places.
That left Iraq needing the play-offs, with Graham Arnold arriving late in the campaign to guide them through the final stretch of qualification.
The first obstacle was the UAE. Iraq drew 1-1 in Abu Dhabi, then returned to Basra and won 2-1 to reach the Intercontinental play-offs. Thereafter, the Middle East conflict broke out which resulted in prolonged uncertainty over the state of the fixture. After hectic parlays, the match went ahead.
Bolivia were waiting in Monterrey, where Ali Al Hamadi struck early, Moises Paniagua equalised before half-time and Aymen Hussein restored Iraq’s lead after the break.
The 2-1 win ended Iraq’s 40 year wait to reach the World Cup and made them the 48th and final team to qualify for the 2026 tournament.
How are they shaping up?
Arnold was appointed to guide Iraq through the final stretch of qualification and delivered exactly what he was brought in to do. The Australian had already taken his own country to the last 16 in Qatar in 2022, giving Iraq a coach familiar with World Cup pressure.
Their defensive structure is vital to the play. Arnold has organised Iraq into two compact banks of four that proved genuinely difficult to break down across 21 qualifying matches. Going forward, Hussein gives Iraq a focal point. He scored eight times in qualifying as well as the winning goal against Bolivia that sent Iraq back to the World Cup.
Al Hamadi offers different skills. The 24-year-old joined Luton Town on loan from Ipswich where he played in the Premier League and there were high hopes for what he could provide but the season proved to be one of his most difficult.
He arrived with a calf issue and injuries destroyed his momentum, ending the campaign with one goal from 14 appearances. Yet on the international stage he is a different player entirely. He scored Iraq's opener against Bolivia and brings pace and directness that often unsettled defenders throughout the qualifiers.
In midfield, Amir Al Ammari created more chances than any other Iraq player in qualifying and scored the stoppage time penalty in Basra against the UAE in the 2-1 victory that kept their dreams alive.
Kevin Yakob brings the kind of tactical nous that will be vital to this Iraq side. The Swedish-born 25-year-old midfielder of Assyrian heritage spent two years out of football after suffering two devastating cruciate ligament injuries.
He returned this season at AGF in Denmark and ended the campaign as a league champion in one of the most unexpected title wins the Danish Superliga has produced in years. His goal against Viborg in February demonstrated his technique as he curled in a long-range strike from outside of the box earning the Goal of the Year award in the Danish domestic league.
Marko Farji is one of the younger and more exciting players set to travel. The 22-year-old Norwegian-born forward of Kurdish heritage signed for Venezia in January after scoring nine goals for Stromsgodset.
Venezia have just won the Serie B title and secured promotion back to Serie A. Farji has had limited opportunities since arriving midseason but brings exactly the kind of youthful directness Arnold may look to in key moments.
Arnold wants Iraq to think bigger
Iraq have been drawn in Group I alongside France, Senegal and Norway, which means facing Kylian Mbappe, one of Africa’s strongest national teams, and a Norway side led by Erling Haaland.
Arnold has tried to present the challenge as something Iraq should embrace. The opening match against Norway feels crucial and billed as the game to target but it’s pertinent to point out that this is the same team that pummeled Italy in the Uefa qualifiers twice.
France are considered tournament favourites and will arrive with an elite squad while Senegal boast tournament pedigree and were African Champions before the result in the final was overturned. But as Saudi Arabia demonstrated against Argentina in Qatar 2022, shocks are part of the game.
Arnold does not want Iraq to simply to take part, telling The National: “It's great being the underdog because all the pressure is on the opponents.
“We need to have that mentality that when we go there, we're going to do something special. Today is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for all the players and even the coaching staff. We've got to get ourselves ready and we've got to forget about the names of the opponents.”
Zidane Iqbal must answer the biggest question
Of all the players Arnold will be monitoring in the build-up, none carry as much potential as Zidane Iqbal. But he has endured a troubled season.
The 23-year-old grew up in Manchester, developed at Old Trafford and made his Champions League debut for Manchester United at 18. He arrived at FC Utrecht three years ago as a player with high potential.
However, this season, Iqbal was dropped to Utrecht's reserve side, Jong FC Utrecht on disciplinary grounds. His coach, Ron Jans, told Dutch media he had shown too little dedication and spent too long stuck in frustration.
Iqbal made 11 appearances for Jong Utrecht in the Eerste Divisie, with the reserve team's coaching staff actively working to rebuild his rhythm and confidence ahead of the World Cup.
Jong coach Mark Otten was candid about the arrangement, telling Voetbal International: “He is a good player, he needs to build up rhythm ahead of the World Cup. We want to give him that chance. Normally speaking, he will go with them. I hope he can grow back to his old level.”
What makes the Iqbal issue so important is what he represents tactically. Arnold's side will spend long periods defending against France, Norway and Senegal.
When they get the ball, they need someone who can carry it forward under pressure and find passes in tight spaces. Iqbal, at his best, gives them that much needed technical quality. Without him, Iraq's transitions are more predictable and easier to contain.
A squad uniting different communities
One of the most striking parts of Iraq’s squad is how many players have roots in the country but built their lives and careers elsewhere, representing the various communities that make up the fabric of the nation.
Al Hamadi grew up in England, Aimar Sher has represented Sweden at youth level, and several others have built careers in Europe. Their presence gives Iraq different football influences and reflects the diaspora.
In an interview with The National, Al Hamadi said he has never felt division inside the dressing room. “Honestly, we're just a group of young, medium and old men who are all playing for the love of football and for the love of the country. I've not felt, since I've been involved with the national team, any division, to be honest. Every single time I've been involved, it's always been togetherness.”
Fixtures
Group I
v Norway, June 16 at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough
v France, June 22 at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
v Senegal, June 26 at BMO Field, Toronto
Squad
Goalkeepers: Fahad Talib (Al Talaba), Jalal Hassan (Al Zawraa), Ahmed Basil (Al Shorta)
Defenders: Hussein Ali (Pogon Szczecin), Manaf Younis (Al Shorta), Zaid Tahseen (Pakhtakor), Rebin Sulaka (Port FC), Akam Hashem (Al Zawraa), Merchas Doski (Viktoria Plzen), Ahmed Yahya (Al Shorta), Zaid Ismail (Al Talaba), Frans Putros (Port FC), Mustafa Saadoon (Al Shorta)
Midfielders: Amir Al Ammari (Cracovia), Kevin Yakob (AGF Aarhus), Zidane Iqbal (FC Utrecht), Aimar Sher (Sarpsborg 08), Ibrahim Bayesh (Al Riyadh), Ahmed Qasim (Elfsborg), Youssef Amyn (Eintracht Braunschweig), Marko Farji (Stromsgodset)
Forwards: Ali Jasim (Como), Ali Al Hamadi (Ipswich Town), Ali Yousef (Al Shorta), Aymen Hussein (Al Khor), Mohanad Ali (Al Shorta)
