The Iraq World Cup 2026 squad will arrive in North America in the summer with history at their fingertips. They just have the small matter of securing their qualification for the tournament first.
World Cup 2026 would be Iraq’s first appearance at the finals since 1986, when three defeats out of three confirmed their early exit. Forty years on, Graham Arnold’s class of 2026 are 90 minutes away from a return to the biggest stage, and a long-awaited chance to pick up their first-ever finals win.
Either Bolivia stand in their way in the final of the inter-confederation play-offs Path 2. The winner of that game will meet Senegal, Norway and France – one of the World Cup favourites – in Group I this summer.
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At World Cup 1986 in Mexico, the Iraqi team made up the numbers. They were beaten by Mexico, Paraguay and Belgium, scoring only once in their defeat at the hands of the excellent Red Devils.
The Gulf nation’s journey back to the finals has been impossibly complicated for obvious reasons that have nothing to do with football. After nine World Cups away, in the current geopolitical climate, the meaning of Iraq returning and playing in the United States would outstrip whatever happens on the pitch.
Arnold’s squad for the play-off final is packed with international experience. Striker Aymen Hussein has more than 90 senior caps, and only eight of his fellow squad members arrive at the play-off final short of double figures. Leagues in Thailand, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Uzbekistan, Czech Republic, Poland, the Netherlands, Cyprus, Italy, Denmark, Norway and England are all represented.
Squad
Iraq World Cup 2026 squad: The March selection
- GK: Fahad Talib (Al-Talaba)
- GK: Ahmed Basil (Al-Shorta)
- GK: Kamel Al-Rekabe (Erbil)
- DF: Rebin Sulaka (Port)
- DF: Manaf Younis (Al-Shorta)
- DF: Merchas Doski (Viktoria Plzen)
- DF: Frans Putros (Persib)
- DF: Hussein Ali (Pogon Szczecin)
- DF: Zaid Tahseen (Pakhtakor)
- DF: Akam Hashim (Al-Zawraa)
- DF: Ahmed Maknzi (Al-Karma)
- MF: Ibraham Bayesh (Al-Dhafra)
- MF: Amir Al-Ammari (Cracovia)
- MF: Ali Jasim (Al-Najma)
- MF: Youssef Amyn (AEK Larnaca)
- MF: Zidane Iqbal (Utrecht)
- MF: Hasan Abdulkareem (Al-Zawraa)
- MF: Marko Farji (Venezia)
- MF: Kevin Yakob (AGF)
- MF: Aimar Sher (Sarpsborg)
- MF: Peter Gwargis (Duhok)
- MF: Zaid Ismail (Al-Talaba)
- FW: Aymen Hussein (Al-Karma)
- FW: Mohanad Ali (Dibba)
- FW: Ali Al-Hamadi (Luton Town)
- FW: Ali Yousif (Al-Talaba)
Fixtures and results
Fixtures
- March 31, 2026: Iraq vs Bolivia, Estadio BBVA, Guadalupe, Mexico
Recent WCQ results
- November 18, 2025: Iraq 2-1 United Arab Emirates, Basra International Stadium, Basra, Iraq
- November 13, 2025: United Arab Emirates 1-1 Iraq, Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi, UAE
- October 14: Saudi Arabia 0-0 Iraq, King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- October 11: Iraq 1-0 Indonesia, King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- June 10: Jordan 0-1 Iraq, Amman International Stadium, Amman, Jordan
- June 5: Iraq 0-2 South Korea, Basra International Stadium, Basra, Iraq
- March 25: Palestine 2-1 Iraq, Amman International Stadium, Amman, Jordan
- March 20: Iraq 2-2 Kuwait, Basra International Stadium, Basra, Iraq
- November 19, 2024: Oman 0-1 Iraq, Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex, Muscat
- November 14: Iraq 0-0 Jordan, Basra International Stadium, Basra, Iraq
- October 15: South Korea 3-2 Iraq, Yongin Mireu Stadium, Yongin, South Korea
- October 10: Iraq 1-0 Palestine, Basra International Stadium, Basra, Iraq
- September 10: Kuwait 0-0 Iraq, Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium, Kuwait City
- September 5: Iraq 1-0 Oman, Basra International Stadium, Basra, Iraq
Manager
Who is Iraq’s manager?
Graham Arnold knows the score. The former Australia forward started his coaching career in 1989 and took on his first international head coach role 20 years ago. That was the first of two spells in charge of the Australian national team, in between which he’s lent his services to clubs in the A-League and the J.League in Japan.
In his second spell as manager of the Socceroos, Arnold steered Australia to the round of 16 at World Cup 2022. There, they were defeated by eventual winners Argentina in Al-Rayyan.
Arnold resigned 18 months ago after some disappointing results in World Cup qualifying. He was soon snapped up to lead Iraq to World Cup 2026. So far, it’s all going more or less to plan.
Iraq’s Star Player
Who is Iraq’s star player?
While a handful of Iraq’s players are playing regular football in some competitive leagues in Europe Mohanad Ali is becoming the headline act.
Ali is 25 years of age, and has collected 69 caps. His 27 goals leave him a long way behind legendary striker Hussein Saeed, but time and an increasingly busy international calendar are on his side in that regard.
The Baghdad-born striker had two long spells at the city’s Al-Shorta club before a 2025 move to the United Arab Emirates and Dibba of Dibba Al-Fujairah, where he has scored six goals in his first 18 appearances.
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