ROME (ITALPRESS) – Iraq’s crucial World Cup playoff match, scheduled for later this month, is expected to be postponed due to the escalation of the war in the Middle East, Iraqi national team coach Graham Arnold said. Iraq will face either Bolivia or Suriname in the Mexican city of Monterrey on March 31, and the winner of the intercontinental play-off will secure a spot in the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada starting June 11.
However, Iraq fears they will not be able to fly their players and staff to Mexico for the match due to travel restrictions in the Middle East, triggered by the conflict in neighboring Iran, which has led to the closure of Iraqi airspace since February 28. Arnold, who took over as Iraq’s national coach in May 2025, said that assembling a squad made up entirely of players from outside Iraq would hamper the country’s chances of qualifying for its first World Cup since 1986.
“It wouldn’t be our best team, and we need this one for the country’s most important match in 40 years,” the Australian coach explained. “The Iraqi people are so passionate about this sport, it’s incredible. The fact that they haven’t qualified for 40 years is probably the main reason I took this job.”
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(ITALPRESS).
