René Meulensteen, assistant coach to Graham Arnold in the Iraq national team, confirmed that the coaching staff, led by the Australian coach, succeeded in making three fundamental transformations within the ranks of the Lions of Mesopotamia after about a year of taking on the task. Meulensteen joined the staff after the Iraqi Football Association contracted Arnold with the aim of leading the team towards the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Meulensteen said in media statements: “We went through a difficult and challenging period during the preparation for the World Cup playoff, due to the unstable conditions surrounding the match’s scheduling, and there was a state of uncertainty in the past phase due to events in the region.”
He added: “We held continuous meetings to follow up on developments, while the international federation insisted on fixing the playoff match dates despite the difficulties. We strive to reach the finals deservedly, and this represents a big step for Iraqi football.”
He explained: “Qualifying has an important moral and economic impact on the country’s level because football is an integral part of Iraqis’ lives, and reaching the World Cup will give the sports street a big boost and open horizons for developing infrastructure. The talents are there and need an advanced organizational and training environment.”
Regarding the biggest goal of the technical staff, Meulensteen concluded by saying: “We must continue developing the national teams’ system, especially the age groups, to feed the first team in the future. We have changed three things: organizing the defense, shifting the mentality to a clearer attacking tendency, and making ball possession a dominant feature in the players’ performance.”
He concluded: “Some ideas may not succeed on the ground, but we are working on instilling a positive culture within the group, enhancing defensive discipline, and developing the playing style, paving the way to achieve the biggest goal of securing the ticket to the finals, which is the dream of every Iraqi citizen.”
Iraq will meet Bolivia next Wednesday morning in the final of the global playoff qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, while the Lions of Mesopotamia continue their preparations in the city of Monterrey.