Iraq became the final team as the lineup for the biggest FIFA World Cup featuring 48 was completed. They defeated Bolivia 2-1 to end a wait of 40 years to finally qualify for the quadrennial spectacle, only for the second time since 1986. The Lions of Mesopotamia played the most matches throughout qualifying (21), and Aymen Hussein netted the last of the global qualifying campaign’s 2,527 goals.

It comes as a moment of joy for a war-torn country whose preparations for the World Cup have been hampered by the escalating tensions in the Middle East. Since the death of former president Saddam Hussein, Iraq have had a tumultuous time. Most of the team reached Mexico for their play-off after a three-day journey from Baghdad. 

It was fitting that Luton Town striker Ali Al Hamadi scored Iraq’s opener against Bolivia, the 24-year-old moved to Liverpool in 2003 after the outbreak of war in Iraq. Their captain Aymen, scored the second goal, and it was a watershed moment as Iraq sealed their World Cup tickets on Mexican soil four decades after the first Iraqi team played at the World Cup in Mexico. 

Best Player – Aymen Hussein (Striker, Al-Karma)

Born and raised in Kirkuk in northern Iraq, a region affected first by war and then by Islamic State, Aymen Hussein lost his father in an al-Qaeda attack in 2008. He toiled hard in his youth career to go on to become the fifth-highest goal-scorer for Iraq. The 30-year-old has amassed 32 goals in 89 appearances for the Lions of Mesopotamia. He’s spent the majority of his club career playing in the Middle East for Qatari and Iraqi clubs. 

Iraq at the World Cup

Iraq’s last appearance at the World Cup in 1986 was overshadowed by a reign of terror; Saddam’s son, Uday Hussein, was in control of the team. Even though they lost all three of their fixtures against Paraguay, Belgium and Mexico by a margin of three goals, the losses didn’t come without controversy. 

In the first match against Paraguay, the referee Edwin Picon-Ackong blew the whistle for half-time a few seconds before Iraq striker Ahmed Radhi headed the ball into the goal; the strike didn’t count. Ahmed Radhi became the first Iraqi player to score at the World Cup, as they lost to Belgium 2-1. Mexico’s 1-0 win resulted in their elimination.

• First World Cup: Mexico (1986)
• Last World Cup: Mexico, 1986 (group stage)
• World Cup appearances: 2 (1986, 2026)
• Current run of successive qualifications: One
• As World Cup hosts: Never hosted

Head Coach 

Graham Arnold was appointed Iraq’s head coach in May 2025, midway through the team’s World Cup qualification campaign. Arnold had taken Australia into the round of 16 of the 2022 Qatar World Cup, and he’s managed to work his magic with Iraq as well. 

In order to keep his players away from the violence in the Middle East, Arnold and his staff had social media banned for ten days before the World Cup playoff against Bolivia. The Australian has spent eight of the past 10 months living in Baghdad to best learn Iraqi culture. During his 13 matches in charge, Arnold has helped Iraq win 8 games, lose 3 and draw two fixtures, scoring 14 goals and conceding 10 along the way. 

Players to Follow

• Ali Al Hamadi (Striker, Ipswich Town)

Ali Al Hamadi grew up in the UK after leaving Iraq, played his club football for Bromley, Ipswich, Stoke City and Luton Town. He made his national debut in 2021 and has since scored 5 goals in 17 appearances. 

• Zidane Iqbal (Midfield, Utrecht)

Born in England, Iqbal played for Manchester United in his youth before joining Jong Utrecht and then playing for Utrecht. He has made over 22 appearances for the Lions of Mesopotamia with two goals to his name. 

• Amir Al-Ammari (Defensive midfielder, Cracovia)

Amir was born in Sweden, he played the majority of the club career in Sweden, and currently plies his trade for Cracovia. The 28-year-old has earned over 49 caps for the national team, scoring 3 goals. 

Qualification Path to World Cup 2026

Iraq’s FIFA World Cup journey began in the second round, where there were six games, coming top of their group. In the third, they faced 10 fixtures, but the team failed to take one of the two automatic qualifying places in their six-team group, losing out to Jordan, and so headed into the playoffs. 

Iraq then played the United Arab Emirates in the AFC fifth round, which was a two-legged playoff to decide which Asian team would advance to the inter-confederation play-offs. Iraq won that tie 3-2 on aggregate, which earned them Asia’s place in the global playoff tournament. A win against Bolivia was the final hurdle. 

Team Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths: Iraq has a strong pool of attacking talent, featuring the likes of Ali Al-Hamadi and Aymen Hussein as top scorers, supported by versatile wingers like Marko Farji and Youssef Amyn. They have a coach who is pragmatic and has already helped Australia qualify for the knockouts.

Weaknesses: Iraq have been paired in Group I, featuring France, Norway and Senegal.  It’s a tricky group featuring two European teams, and an African side that, on paper, was the best team from the continent. Iraq have also struggled to defend set-pieces, that’s a weakness that opposition teams may exploit. 

Facts / Trivia

• Iraq have won the Arab Cup four times, and also the Asian Cup in 2007. 
• The Lions of Mesopotamia were coached by the legendary Amu Baba in six different spells between 1978 and 1996. 
• Their biggest win came against Ethiopia in 1992, where Iraq scored 26 goals without reply. 

Conclusion

Qualification for the World Cup gives Iraq’s players and fans the chance to witness another chapter after the 1986 episode. They have been in a tough group, and despite all the talented players on their roster, it’s tough to see them make it past the group stage.