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Summary

A historic return for Iraq to the 2026 World Cup after four decades, amid Asian praise and massive popular celebrations, reflecting the development of Iraqi football and the determination of its players despite challenges, with ambition to cause a global surprise.

AFC President Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa on Wednesday praised Iraq's qualification for the 2026 World Cup finals, describing the achievement as a confirmation of Iraq's football standing in the continent, while Iraqi Football Association Chairman Adnan Dirjal called the national team's victory in Monterrey "an epic that will remain in memory."

Confirmation of Iraqi football development in Asia

Al Khalifa said in a statement carried by the Iraqi News Agency that reaching the finals for the second time in its history reflects "the distinguished position that Iraqi football holds on the Asian scene," adding that the qualification is the fruit of the Iraqi Federation's preparations and the dedication of the players, technical staff, and administrative staff throughout the qualifiers.

The AFC President added that he is confident in Iraq's ability to represent the continent honorably in the next World Cup, stressing the importance of ideal preparation to ensure "an appearance befitting the reputation of Iraqi football and enhancing its continental and international gains."

Dirjal: Monterrey epic and new history

For his part, Dirjal congratulated the Iraqi people on the qualification, pointing to the "arduous" efforts made during the past period that led to this historic qualification, "40 years after Iraq's first appearance in the 1986 World Cup, which was also in Mexico."

Dirjal described Iraq's victory in Monterrey as a "football epic," noting that the players played "the match of their lives to make their people happy," and that coach Graham Arnold and his technical staff provided an outstanding tactical reading in the decisive encounter.

He added that he thanks the players and the fans who attended or followed the match, saying the team completed "a long and arduous journey spanning 21 matches" before securing the qualification ticket.

Iraq snatched the last available spot to participate in the 2026 World Cup by defeating Bolivia 2-1 in the global playoff final on Wednesday, returning to the tournament after a 40-year absence.

Aymen Hussein scored the winning goal in the second half, making Iraq the 48th and final team to qualify for the tournament to be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Ali Al-Hamadi opened the scoring for Iraq in the 10th minute at Monterrey Stadium, before Bolivia equalized through Moses Paniagua before the end of the first half.

Iraq's ambitions in a tough group

Iraq will play in the World Cup, to be held from June 11 to July 19, in Group 9 alongside France, Senegal, and Norway.

Iraq's only previous World Cup participation was in the 1986 Mexico edition, where the team lost all three group stage matches.

But Iraq's ambitions seem to have changed greatly, as it will seek to go as far as possible in the global event. Coach Arnold confirmed that his team will give their all, considering the matches against France, Norway, and Senegal as an opportunity to try to surprise the world with exceptional performance and results.

Arnold: Winning mentality and surprising the world

Arnold led his country to the Round of 16 in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, becoming the second Australian coach to lead two different teams to the finals.

Arnold said in the press conference after Iraq's qualification to the World Cup: "Before thinking about facing France, I must mention that I faced them before with Australia in the 2022 World Cup and we lost 1-4, but we used that experience as a motivator to beat Tunisia and Denmark and qualify for the Round of 16."

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He added: "The Iraq national team has nothing to lose; we must go to the World Cup with a winning mentality, that is the only way to achieve achievements. Being on the same pitch with players like Kylian Mbappé (France captain) and Erling Haaland (Norway striker) is a great honor for our players, and we will respect their abilities, but we will step onto the field to try to win and we will surprise the world."

Arnold continued: "Qualifying for the World Cup is a great privilege for all players, who will enjoy playing matches against big names in world football, and we will try to give our best to make our fans happy and showcase Iraqi football on the global stage."

Mass celebrations despite difficult circumstances

Coinciding with the press conference of coach Arnold, streets and squares of the Iraqi capital Baghdad witnessed lively celebrations that made Iraqis forget, even for moments, the Middle East war that has extended to their country for more than a month.

The streets were crowded with thousands of revelers waving Iraqi flags, clapping, and shedding tears while some danced on the roofs of their cars, while celebratory music and fireworks sounded, according to AFP photographers.

In the Karrada area in central Baghdad, streets were closed to cars due to the density of the crowd, while cafes overflowed with men drinking tea and smoking shisha while watching the match on huge screens.

At the "Abu Haloub" café, which offered free tea and shisha after the team qualified for the World Cup, Ahmed, 22, said: "This victory is very precious to us, despite the war happening in the country."

He added: "The Iraqi people are united across all sects, and this victory reminds us of our victory" in the 2007 Asian Cup, when sectarian fighting was at its peak in Iraq.

Grueling journey to qualification amid war challenges

The Iraqi national team played the match after obstacles hindered its travel and preparations, due to the war that began with a US-Israeli attack on Iran on February 28 and extended to Iraq.

Because of the war, Iraq closed its airspace due to drone and missile attacks on various sites in the country, forcing the football team to travel hundreds of kilometers overland from Baghdad to Jordan, then by air to Mexico, in a journey that took three days.

The outbreak of war led to the cancellation of its planned training camp in the US city of Houston, and the visas for most members of the official delegation were not completed to play the final qualifying match.

The "Lions of Mesopotamia" team arrived in Monterrey last week, after FIFA secured a private plane to transport them.

While the players were preparing for the playoff, their Australian coach Graham Arnold tried to keep them away from war news that had killed at least 104 people in their country, according to a tally based on data from authorities and sources in pro-Iranian Iraqi armed factions.

Baghdad decided on Tuesday evening to "allocate generous rewards for the national team players" in the event of qualifying for the World Cup finals, according to a statement from the media office of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani.

On the occasion of the qualification, the government decided to suspend official work on Wednesday and Thursday, according to another official statement.

Humble tea sellers in the streets of Baghdad chanted on Wednesday morning, "Tea for free."

Footage broadcast by the official Iraqi News channel showed celebrations in various areas of Iraq.