Iraq’s Challenging Journey to the 2026 World Cup
In the year dubbed the Geopolitical Cup, marked by one nation’s team playing within the borders of a country with which it is at war, Iraq’s path to the 2026 World Cup has been notably arduous. The memory of U.S. military action in the 2000s remains recent, and ongoing conflict in neighboring Iran impacted Iraq’s final stages in their long quest to return to the World Cup finals, as detailed in our team guide by Graham Arnold, the Australian head coach.
Iraq were a game away from qualifying for their first World Cup in 40 years, with a final against Bolivia in Monterrey, their 21st qualifier, but things didn’t go smoothly. War broke out in the Middle East, with airspace closed and flights grounded. Unable to gather his squad, Arnold, stuck in a hotel in the UAE, demanded Fifa postpone the playoff, but the clouds cleared and after a 12-hour drive from Baghdad to Amman and a 17-hour flight to Mexico, Iraq reached their destination, 10 days before the game.
The match itself was tied at halftime, but Aymen Hussein — who is certainly not related to Saddam or Uday Hussein — became Iraq’s equivalent of Paul Caligiuri by scoring the decisive goal that ended the nation’s 40-year absence from the World Cup finals.
Hussein, who plays for Al-Karma in Iraq, is the team’s leading scorer and starts up front alongside Ipswich Town’s Ali Al-Hamadi. Among the starters, three players, including goalkeeper and captain Jalal Hassan, play domestically. The others are based in the Czech Republic, Uzbekistan, Poland (two players), Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. On the bench is Ahmed Qasam, who plays in the United States with Nashville SC.
The starting lineup is:
Hassan; Doski, Tahseen, Hashim, Ali; Jasim, Ismail, Al-Ammari, Bayesh; Al-Hamadi, Hussein.
Anticipation Builds for Norway vs Iraq in Group I
The conclusion of the France vs Senegal match was action-packed, and the hope is for similar excitement in the other Group I fixture between two teams that have not featured in the World Cup finals this century.
Norway last appeared in the World Cup finals in 1998, where they notably upset Brazil to advance to the knockout rounds. They also participated in the 1994 World Cup held in the USA but missed the knockout stage under unusual circumstances — four teams finished with four points and identical goal difference, but Norway scored only once and were eliminated. Italy, despite opening the group with a loss to Ireland, advanced as one of the best third-place teams and went on a notable run.
Iraq’s last World Cup finals appearance was in 1986, before any current players were born. (At that time, the author was a rising senior in high school, preoccupied with calculus and personal matters.) Iraq is seeking its first World Cup point, having lost all three matches in 1986, each by a single goal. Since the fall of the Hussein family regime, Iraq has performed relatively well in the Asian Cup, including winning the championship in 2007.
(Note: Technically, the term “World Cup” includes the qualifiers, while the final 32 or 48 teams participate in the “World Cup finals.” Thus, it is not entirely accurate to say these teams have not played in the World Cup recently. The author pledges to be less pedantic for the remainder of the session.)
Greetings to all readers, and I hope you are enjoying the ongoing debate regarding the no-call in the France-Senegal match. The consensus among referees on the message board I frequent is that the no-call was correct, as well as the goal that followed.
Follow along with Daniel Harris’s coverage, and I will return with a detailed preamble once that match concludes. Beau will join shortly. Meanwhile, here is Nick Ames’s perspective on Norway’s return to the World Cup:
Norway’s Historical Lessons and Current Prospects
If Norway’s highly fancied generation need a warning from history they need only look back 32 years and study the lessons from another searing, suspenseful American summer. They had raced through qualifying at England’s expense to reach their first World Cup since 1938; their top players were starting to make it in the Premier League and through the euphoria shone a confidence that a place in the knockout stage, at least, was there to be seized.
“When we got there we didn’t manage to even get close to the quality of play we had produced in qualification,” remembers Lars Bohinen, one of the silkier elements in a side that, under Egil Olsen, became renowned for an uncompromising and no-frills approach. “That’s the biggest disappointment when I talk now to my old teammates. We never got near to performing at the level we needed.”
In fact, Norway was somewhat unfortunate in 1994. Placed in a demanding group alongside Mexico, Republic of Ireland, and Italy, they finished fourth despite all teams finishing level on points and goal difference. Their elimination was due to a lack of goals; Olsen’s team scored only once, defeating Mexico before settling for a goalless draw against Jack Charlton’s Ireland at Giants Stadium.
This year’s Group I does not appear any easier. However, Norwegian football’s character has evolved; the image of burly Vikings has been replaced by technically skilled talents such as Martin Ødegaard and Antonio Nusa. The team also boasts a spearhead in Erling Haaland, capable of converting more frequent chances within Ståle Solbakken’s fast and flexible tactical setup.
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