Statabet 26 47 days until kickoff
Iraq
Group I · 4th pot

Iraq
Lions of Mesopotamia.

First World Cup in 40 years (since 1986). Progressed through AFC playoffs, then defeated Bolivia 2:1 in the intercontinental playoff in Monterrey. Coach Graham Arnold (Australia, from summer 2025) — former Socceroos manager, leader of the historic qualification campaign. A generation raised in Turkey and Europe.

Route · Group I
Tue · 16 JUNIraq — Norway — · —Boston · 18:00 Mon · 22 JUNFrance — Iraq — · —Philadelphia · 17:00 Fri · 26 JUNSenegal — Iraq — · —Toronto · 15:00
Thu 2 JULRound of 16 · I vs ?Los Angeles
National anthem
موطني
0:00
Wikimedia
Full path · 7 stages

National team
calendar.

Matchday 1
16 JUN · TUE · 18:00
vs Norway
Boston · "Gillette Stadium"
Matchday 2
22 JUN · MON · 17:00
away at France
Philadelphia · Lincoln Financial Field
Matchday 3
26 JUN · FRI · 15:00
away at Senegal
Toronto · "BMO Field"
Round of 16
28 JUN–3 JUL · FRI
if they qualify
Atlanta · Boston · Vancouver · Guadalajara and 12 more
Round of 16
4 JUL–7 JUL · TUE
if they qualify
Atlanta · Dallas · Kansas City · Los Angeles and 4 more
Quarterfinals
9 JUL–11 JUL · SAT
if they qualify
Atlanta · New York / NJ · San Francisco · Philadelphia
Semifinals
14 JUL–15 JUL · WED
if they qualify
Atlanta · Dallas
Final
19 JUL · SUN
if they qualify
New York / NJ

Group stage confirmed, playoffs — date range and potential venues. Playoff schedule to be finalized after Round of 16 draw.

2
Tournaments in history
0
No titles
#65
FIFA Ranking
501
Odds to win
Coaching staff

Arnold —
from Sydney to Baghdad.

Gregg Berhalter

Gregg Berhalter

Head Coach · Iraq · since May 2025

An Australian who left the Australian national team after Copa America 2024. Took over Iraq in May 2025 following Casas's dismissal. Led the Iraqis to their first World Cup in 40 years via the intercontinental playoff (Bolivia 2:1).

★ Iraq's first World Cup in 40 years Doha 2022 (with Australia) Round of 16 18 matches · 12 wins
Stars

Four players
to watch.

Ayman Hussein

Ayman Hussein

Forward · № 9 · 30 years old

Top scorer. Author of the winning goal in the playoff against Bolivia (2:1) — sent Iraq to the World Cup for the first time since 1986.

File
Zidan Iqbal

Zidan Iqbal

Midfielder · № 10 · 23 years old

Manchester United academy product, currently Utrecht. First British player of South Asian descent in the Champions League.

File
Amir Al-Ammari

Amir Al-Ammari

Midfielder · № 8 · 28 years old

Midfielder at Krakow. Converted the decisive penalty in stoppage time against UAE (2:1) — advanced to the playoff.

File
Ali Al-Hamadi

Ali Al-Hamadi

Forward · № 11 · 24 years old

Striker at Luton Town. Opened the scoring in the winning playoff against Bolivia — hero of the historic qualification campaign.

File
Squad · preliminary list

Twenty-six players
under one roof.

Preliminary Final FIFA squad list — by May 27, 2026.

Goalkeepers

1
Ahmed Basil Al-Shorta 26 years · 188 cm · €0.4M
22
Kamil Sabah Al-Zawra 34 years · 188 cm · €0.2M
12
Fahad Talib Al-Kuwaiti 29 years · 190 cm · €0.2M

Defenders

3
Merhas Dosky Viktoria Plzeň 25 years · 186 cm · €1.5M
4
Zaid Tahsin Pakhtakor 28 years · 185 cm · €0.7M
5
Akam Hashem Al-Zawra 28 years · 184 cm · €0.5M
15
Husein Ali Pogon 26 years · 178 cm · €0.8M
2
Francis Batros Al-Shorta 23 years · 182 cm · €0.4M
13
Munaf Younis Al-Shorta 28 years · 183 cm · €0.3M
6
Hussein Abdulkareem Al-Shorta 26 years · 180 cm · €0.3M
24
Rabin Sollaka Brann 23 years · 188 cm · €0.6M

Midfielders

8
Amir Al-Ammari Kraków 28 years old · 178 cm · €1.0M
10
Zidan Iqbal Utrecht 23 years · 178 cm · €2.5M
14
Aymar Cher Sarpsborg 23 years · 178 cm · €0.8M
17
Yousuf Amin AEK Larnaca 22 years · 178 cm · €0.7M
16
Kevin Jakub Hapoel Tel Aviv 26 years · 180 cm · €0.5M
18
Zaid Ismail Erbil 24 years · 178 cm · €0.3M
20
Ibrahim Bayesh Al-Karma 28 years · 175 cm · €0.4M
25
Piter Kurkis Horsens 24 years · 180 cm · €0.4M

Forwards

9
Ayman Hussein Al-Karma 30 years · 189 cm · €0.6M
7
Mohanand Ali Dibba 25 years old · 185 cm · €0.5M
11
Ali Al-Hamadi Luton 24 years old · 188 cm · €1.2M
19
Ali Jasem Como 22 years old · 175 cm · €2.0M
21
Marco Farfji Venezia 21 years old · 178 cm · €1.5M
23
Ali Yousuf Al-Shorta 26 years old · 178 cm · €0.5M
26
Ahmed Mackenzie Östersund 23 years old · 178 cm · €0.4M
History

Second World Cup —
after 39 years old.

After 1986.

2 tournaments — 1986 and 2026. At Mexico 1986 — three defeats (Paraguay 0:1, Belgium 1:2, Mexico 0:1). The longest gap in the history of Arab national teams.

1986GroupParaguay 0:1, Belgium 1:2, Mexico 0:1Group