Historic Qualification for 2026 World Cup
Iraq secured their first World Cup qualification in 40 years by winning a play-off against Bolivia in Mexico, the same country where they made their debut in the tournament in 1986.
Karim Allawi, a player from the 1986 squad, witnessed the Lions of Mesopotamia lose all three group matches against Paraguay, Belgium, and Mexico. Now a fan, he hopes the current team can perform better despite facing tough opponents such as Norway, France, and Senegal.
The 66-year-old Allawi, along with most of Iraq's 46 million football enthusiasts, will watch eagerly as Iraq faces Erling Haaland's Norway in Boston on 16 June.
"This is truly a group of death and tougher than 1986," Allawi told .
"France are multiple-time world champions, Norway are one of the strongest developing European teams, and Senegal are African champions who have qualified for the World Cup several times.
"I hope they deliver strong performances and achieve better results than we did in 1986."
Currently ranked 57th globally, Iraq's squad includes players with European club experience such as Ali Al-Hamadi of Ipswich Town, former Manchester United midfielder Zidane Iqbal now at Utrecht in the Netherlands, and Kevin Yakob, who recently contributed to AGF's Danish championship.
The appointment of Graham Arnold as head coach in 2025 has been instrumental. Arnold, who led Australia to the second round of the 2022 World Cup, guided Iraq through the third and fourth qualification rounds, including a close play-off win against the United Arab Emirates before the victory over Bolivia. This marked Iraq's 21st match on the path to the finals.
Although celebrations have subsided, enthusiasm remains high. TV sports reporter Nawar Faeq Al-Rikabi told the BBC:
"People may think we are the weakest team in the group but anything could happen.
"We will be fine, there is no pressure on the Iraqi players, they just have to perform and we have quality players who can perform."
Al-Rikabi emphasized Arnold's potential impact:
"In 2022, Argentina found it very hard to win against Australia," added Al-Rikabi. "It will be the same with us. He is very experienced and I think we will do something really good."
The team's objective is to surpass their 1986 performance. Achievements such as scoring more than one goal, winning a match, or advancing to the next stage would be historic milestones for Iraq.
Wars, Political Challenges, and Sanctions
Iraq has long possessed football talent, but off-field issues delayed their return to the World Cup for four decades.
"Just like the country, the national team went through many difficult circumstances, including wars, political and economic challenges, and at times international sanctions," Allawi explained.
"There was also, at times, a lack of proper planning for the qualifiers and insufficient preparation for matches. That is why it took such a long time."
During Saddam Hussein's regime, his son Uday Hussein took control of Iraq football in 1984, imposing a brutal regime involving punishments and torture on players. Details emerged after the regime's fall in 2003, revealing players forced to train with concrete balls, subjected to flogging, imprisonment, and other abuses.
Allawi was reluctant to elaborate but said, "To put it briefly, during that period, there was a very strict principle of reward and punishment in place."
The US-led invasion that removed Saddam Hussein led to prolonged instability affecting football. The national team has not played a World Cup qualifier in Baghdad since then. In March 2020, FIFA approved Basra as a venue for home games, ending the need to play qualifiers abroad in countries like Jordan, Malaysia, and Iran.
In 2026, regional conflicts nearly postponed the March play-off against Bolivia, with some players and coach Arnold facing difficulties traveling to Mexico. Ultimately, the team arrived and celebrated their victory with an open-top bus parade through Baghdad's crowded streets.
Echoes of the 1980s
When Iraq qualified in 1985 with a 3-1 win over Syria, the Iran-Iraq war forced the match to be played in Saudi Arabia.
"We were also playing our matches outside the country, which made the feeling even greater," Allawi recalled.
"It was similar when we came back, there was also a huge public attendance, and many celebrations were organised by the people, especially festivals and public gatherings. We were a good team."
This golden generation participated in three Olympic Games during the 1980s and won numerous regional championships.
Allawi contributed throughout the qualification matches but was sidelined during the World Cup due to an injury sustained before the Paraguay game.
"Throughout all the qualification matches, I was a starter but at the World Cup I was on the bench because of the injury I suffered the day before the Paraguay game. It was very unfortunate."
The 1-0 loss to Paraguay remains a topic of discussion in Baghdad, especially due to a disallowed equalizer by Iraqi legend Ahmed Radhi, which was negated by the referee just before halftime.
"The referee did not count the goal and we suffered from poor decisions, against Belgium too, we had a red card and came close to equalising," Allawi said.
Despite these setbacks, Allawi cherishes the World Cup experience.
"Despite that, it was a special time, the atmosphere of the World Cup is completely different from any other tournament with massive crowds, legendary players everywhere.
"You try to get to know them and interact with players from different countries.
"They remain very good memories for us and I am sure that the players in the team now will say the same in years to come."
