According to the schedule, the Iraqi team will play in the Intercontinental play-off round with the winning team in the Suriname vs Bolivia match on March 31. The winning team will win a ticket to the 2026 World Cup. The last time the Iraqi team participated in the number one tournament on the planet was in 1986.
However, preparations for Iraq's match were stalled due to escalating conflict in the region. Iraqi airspace is expected not to reopen until April 1, affecting the Iraqi team's travel plan.
Sharing with international media, coach Graham Arnold emphasized that the Iraqi team is facing many difficulties in the process of preparing for the match, especially taking players out of Iraq.
The Iraqi national team lineup includes many players playing domestically, but they and many members of the team's coaching staff, including Sydney FC's interpreter and former winger Ali Abbas, still cannot fly out of Iraq. In addition, the training plan in the US for the Iraqi national team has also been postponed due to visa requirements facing many difficulties.
According to Arnold, FIFA may let Bolivia play against Suriname in March. After that, the Iraqi team will play against the winning team in the play-offs a week before the World Cup takes place in the US. The winning team will participate in the World Cup, and the losing team will return home.
Also according to Arnold, if done this way, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) will have more time to wait for a decision from the Iranian team. If the Iranian team withdraws, it is likely that the Iraqi team will be promoted to the World Cup, and the UAE team will play in the play-off match.
Our federation president, Adnan Dirjal, is working non-stop to plan and prepare to turn the dreams of every Iraqi citizen into reality, so we need this decision to be made quickly," Arnold emphasized.
According to Iraqi media, the Iraqi Football Federation has informed FIFA that they cannot travel for a month due to the situation in the area. This prevents them from participating in the play-off match.
Ghalib Al-Zamili, a member of the Iraqi Football Federation, said he hopes FIFA will assess the current situation and consider postponing Iraq's World Cup play-off match, or may make another decision suitable to the current situation.
He said: "FIFA President Gianni Infantino has informed the head of the Iraqi Football Federation that an important message will be delivered in the coming days to resolve this issue, in the context of the tense situation and ongoing war in the region.
