{"id":113178,"date":"2026-05-14T08:20:13","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T08:20:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/113178\/"},"modified":"2026-05-14T08:20:13","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T08:20:13","slug":"iraq-2026-world-cup-preview-lions-of-mesopotamia-back-after-40-year-exile","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/113178\/","title":{"rendered":"Iraq 2026 World Cup Preview: Lions of Mesopotamia Back After 40-Year Exile"},"content":{"rendered":"

For the first time in the 21st century, Iraq is back at the World Cup to make just its second appearance in the showpiece event. <\/p>\n

The Lions of Mesopotamia were the final team to punch its ticket to the United States, Canada and Mexico this summer after toppling Bolivia in FIFA\u2019s inter-confederation playoffs. The victory in Monterrey marked a triumphant end\u2014and a promising beginning\u2014for an Iraq side looking to inspire hope and unity throughout its country.<\/p>\n

Graham Arnold\u2019s men could make history by securing Iraq\u2019s first-ever World Cup win, but it would have to come against Norway, France or Senegal, the three powerhouses awaiting them men in Group I. <\/p>\n

The Road to the World CupQualification record (including playoffs): 13W-3L-5DGoals for \/ against (including playoffs):\u00a032 \/ 14Top scorer:\u00a0Aymen Hussein\u00a0(8)Assist leader:\u00a0Amir Al-Ammari (4)<\/p>\n

It was a long and complicated path for Iraq on its way to North America. The team won 11 of 18 qualifiers across three rounds to book a place in the AFC playoff. Arnold\u2019s team then survived a two-legged tie with United Arab Emirates to advance to FIFA\u2019s inter-confederation playoffs, where it secured a precious 2\u20131 win over Bolivia to finally qualify to the 2026 World Cup<\/a>. <\/p>\n

World Cup Schedule<\/p>\n

Fixture<\/p>\n

Date<\/p>\n

Venue<\/p>\n

Iraq vs. Norway<\/p>\n

Tuesday, June 16<\/p>\n

Gillette Stadium<\/p>\n

France vs. Iraq<\/p>\n

Monday, June 22<\/p>\n

Lincoln Financial Field<\/p>\n

Senegal vs. Iraq<\/p>\n

Friday, June 26<\/p>\n

BMO Field<\/p>\n

Manager: Graham Arnold\"Graham<\/p>\n

Graham Arnold got Iraq back to the world stage. | Hector Vivas\/FIFA\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

World Cup experience: Managed Australia at the 2022 World CupTime in charge of the team: Since May 2025Manager meter:\u00a0Thrives under pressure<\/p>\n

Arnold has been in a race against the clock with Iraq. Having only taken over the team in May of last year, the Australian was thrown right into the team\u2019s qualifying campaign, shouldering the hopes of an entire nation with little room for error. The team immediately responded to its new player-centric boss, though, and together achieved a historic feat.<\/p>\n

How Iraq PlaysPreferred formation: 4-4-2Style:\u00a0CounterattackKey strengths:\u00a0Defense, high work rate Key weaknesses:\u00a0Lack of experience and game-changers<\/p>\n

Iraq simply does not have the firepower to control games in possession or dominate in the final third. Instead, Arnold\u2019s team outwork and outlast its opponents, relying on an organized and disciplined defense to keep games close. Then, when the perfect moment arises, it strikes in transition.<\/p>\n

Ones to Watch\"Mohanad<\/p>\n

Iraq\u2019s forward line is more than capable. | TIBA SADEG\/Middle East Images\/AFP\/Getty Images, Hector Vivas\/FIFA\/Getty Images <\/p>\n

X-Factor: You\u2019ll be hard pressed to find an Iraqi player as consistent and clinical as Mohanad Ali. The striker can sniff out a goalscoring opportunity from a mile away\u2014his six goals in his last 12 international caps speak for themselves\u2014even when starting games on the bench.<\/p>\n

Breakout Star: One of the few players with experience playing in England, Ali Al-Hamadi is no stranger to the bright lights. The 24-year-old might still be raw, but he has the speed, dribbling ability and resilience to change a game at any level.<\/p>\n

Iraq\u2019s Predicted Starting XI\"Iraq\u2019s<\/p>\n

Aymen Hussein is the go-to man up top for Iraq. | FootballUser <\/p>\n

Iraq is not blessed with depth, leaving much of Arnold\u2019s XI already set in stone for the World Cup. There are several key positions, though, that require a tough decision from the Australian coach. <\/p>\n

Hussein is a shoo-in to lead the line, but his partner up top is in question. Al-Hamadi\u2019s heroics against Bolivia thrust the striker into pole position, especially since he got the nod in the all-important playoff. Yet Ali is widely regarded as the team\u2019s x-factor and could see his talents wasted only featuring off the bench, even though he has developed super-sub status as of late. <\/p>\n

Arnold also has a decision to make between the posts. Captain Jalal Hassan\u2019s recent fitness woes have opened the door for Ahmed Basil Fadhil, whose sensational performance against Bolivia and impressive outings at the Arab Cup just might give his manager pause. <\/p>\n

Current Form<\/p>\n

Iraq ended 2025 with a disappointing 1\u20130 defeat to Jordan in the Arab Cup quarterfinals. The team then had three months to regroup before the all-important playoff against Bolivia. <\/p>\n

The Lions of Mesopotamia secured a 2\u20131 victory in the all-or-nothing showdown, with a goal from Hussein in the 53rd minute sealing the win. Of course, there is still some fine-tuning needed ahead of the tournament\u2014question marks surround the team\u2019s best midfield\u2014but Iraq will happily get back to work in pursuit of its dream.<\/p>\n

What We Can Expect From Iraq Fans\"Iraq\"<\/p>\n

Iraq fans could face challenges trying to travel to North America this summer. | Julio Cesar Aguilar\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

During turbulent political times, the Iraq national team acts as a unifying force for fans. No matter what is going on in the country, soccer is a source of hope and national pride that brings people together\u2014a feeling that will be amplified on the world stage. Anyone who saw the jubilant celebrations among Iraq fans in Mexico knows what the national teams means to these fans. <\/p>\n

Fans would love nothing more than to travel to North America to see their team in action this summer, but they face challenges that could prove insurmountable (the first two games are in the U.S.). Obtaining a visa to enter the United States is a feat in and of itself, and that was before the ongoing U.S. conflict in the Middle East. <\/p>\n

The Iran war already impacted the Iraqi team\u2019s travel to Mexico for the inter-confederation playoffs and similar issues could occur for supporters come June unless relations are repaired. <\/p>\n

National Expectations\"Iraq<\/p>\n

Iraq is the underdog in Group I. | Mohamed Farag\/FIFA\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Just qualifying for the World Cup was a monumental accomplishment for Iraq, one that likely already surpassed every expectation for the national team back home. Fans are now hungry for more success, though, dreaming about the Lions of Mesopotamia securing a first win on the world stage. <\/p>\n

Expect an uphill battle awaits Arnold\u2019s men. Iraq\u2019s group consists of Norway, France<\/a> and Senegal, three countries all expected to advance to the knockout stage. Hoping for three points against one of the teams\u2014let alone surviving the group stage\u2014is a tall ask, one that will likely leave optimistic supporters disappointed. <\/p>\n

And Finally …Vibe Check: ResilientWho Iraq Doesn’t Want to Face:\u00a0IranOne Stat That Defines Iraq:\u00a0Ten wins in 13 matches under Arnold demonstrates huge progressIf Things Go Wrong:\u00a0Inexperience against non-AFC teams What Will Everyone Say If Iraq Goes Out Early?\u00a0Iraq falls short in long-awaited World Cup returnREAD MORE GROUP I PREVIEWS AND ALL OF SI FC\u2019S WORLD CUP COVERAGE\"\"Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For the first time in the 21st century, Iraq is back at the World Cup to make just…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":113179,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[94],"class_list":{"0":"post-113178","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-iraq","8":"tag-iraq"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@iran\/116571958497764774","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113178","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=113178"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113178\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/113179"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=113178"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=113178"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=113178"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}