Iraq chasing first FIFA World Cup berth since 1986
Iraq just one game away from sealing World Cup 2026 place
Graham Arnold using pressure control, social media ban to prepare team
Iraq’s bid to return to the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 1986 now comes down to one playoff in March, and coach Graham Arnold believes their intense preparation, including a strict social media ban, is helping the squad handle the pressure of a 40-year wait.
Iraq’s Preparation: Pressure Control, Social Media Ban
Some in Arnold’s Iraq squad play in Europe, including Amir Al-Ammari in Poland, former Manchester United prospect Zidane Iqbal in the Netherlands, and German-born Merchas Doski in the Czech Republic, but most remain in Iraq.
The 62-year-old head coach acknowledged the psychological strain on his players. “They have carried a lot of pressure and there’s a lot of expectations,” he said. “I’ve banned them from social media for the last two camps, from the day they got in, to the day we left. And we haven’t lost a game.”
Managing tension has been vital, especially after Iraq’s dramatic 17th-minute stoppage-time penalty against the United Arab Emirates that sealed a 2-1 win, and 3-2 on aggregate, before 62,000 fans in Basra.
A video circulating online showed Arnold behind the dugout refusing to watch as Al-Ammari prepared for the decisive kick. “I’ve never seen anything like it the other night,” he said.
One Game To Reach FIFA World Cup 2026
Iraq now face an elimination playoff against Bolivia or Suriname in March. Bolivia and Suriname meet first, also in Monterrey or Guadalajara.
Victory for Iraq will end a wait stretching back to their last and only World Cup appearance in Mexico in 1986, where they lost three tight games, including to the host nation.
“For Iraq fans, a 40-year wait through their nation’s troubled modern history to return to the World Cup can end in the last of an epic 21-game qualifying campaign,” Arnold said after Thursday’s playoff draw in Zurich. “If ever a country is desperate to qualify, this is it.”
Iraq have played more matches than any other team in the race to qualify for the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
“There’s 45 million that live in Iraq, and there’s probably about another 10 million live somewhere else, because of the war. So there’s a lot of emotion around,” the head coach said.
Arnold’s Pedigree Vital For Iraq
Arnold’s experience in high-stakes qualifiers underpins Iraq’s belief. He guided Australia through a tense playoff against Peru in Doha to reach the 2022 World Cup, famously sending on substitute goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne, who made the decisive save.
“The funny thing is, I didn’t feel this much pressure,” Arnold said of Australia’s playoff, compared with “the tension that I felt the other night.”
“Australia’s my country, and I love Australia so much, but I’ve been given a task that can change a country forever,” he said. “And I’m really enjoying the task.”
Arnold was appointed only in May, already deep into a qualifying path that began in November 2023. He has spent most of the past six months in Iraq and describes the environment as unexpectedly vibrant.
“The people are beautiful people and they’re very passionate about anything that they do,” he said, calling the fans “sensational.”
“The whole thing of Iraq is a misperception. You know, they had to go through a war; they’re still recovering from that war.”
He added he is unfazed by Baghdad’s heat, dust storms and bustle: “The roads are busy, everything’s busy. But I’ve been there for five and a half months out of six, and I find it normal.”
Historic Return In Sight For Iraq
Baghdad endured “shock and awe” bombing in 2003 during the United States’ campaign to topple Saddam Hussein, and for much of the past two decades, FIFA barred Iraq from hosting World Cup qualifying games due to security concerns.
Yet Basra’s atmosphere against the UAE showed how deeply the nation embraces its team and how much this return to the global stage means.
One match now stands between Iraq and the FIFA World Cup 2026, fittingly in Mexico, the same country where Iraq made their only appearance 40 years ago. Iraq want to return.
(Wit AP Inputs)
