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Iraq’s World Cup 2026 squad will arrive in North America this summer with a sense of history and purpose.

This will mark Iraq’s first appearance in the World Cup finals since 1986, when they exited after three consecutive defeats. Four decades later, Graham Arnold’s 2026 side has earned a return to football’s biggest stage and a long-awaited opportunity to claim their first-ever World Cup finals victory.

After defeating Bolivia in the inter-confederation play-offs in March, Iraq will now face Senegal, Norway, and France—one of the tournament favourites—in Group I this summer.

In the 1986 World Cup held in Mexico, Iraq’s team struggled, losing to Mexico, Paraguay, and Belgium, managing to find the net just once during their campaign against the formidable Red Devils.

The Gulf nation’s path back to the finals has been a complex one, shaped by off-field challenges far removed from football. After missing nine consecutive tournaments, Iraq’s return—especially to play in the United States—carries a significance that extends well beyond the football pitch.

Arnold’s squad for the play-off final features a wealth of international experience. Striker Aymen Hussein boasts over 90 senior caps, while only eight other players in the team have fewer than ten international appearances. The squad draws talent from leagues in Thailand, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Uzbekistan, the Czech Republic, Poland, the Netherlands, Cyprus, Italy, Denmark, Norway, and England.

GK: Fahad Talib (Al-Talaba)

GK: Ahmed Basil (Al-Shorta)

GK: Kamel Al-Rekabe (Erbil)

DF: Rebin Sulaka (Port)

DF: Manaf Younis (Al-Shorta)

DF: Merchas Doski (Viktoria Plzen)

DF: Frans Putros (Persib)

DF: Hussein Ali (Pogon Szczecin)

DF: Zaid Tahseen (Pakhtakor)

DF: Akam Hashim (Al-Zawraa)

DF: Ahmed Maknzi (Al-Karma)

MF: Ibraham Bayesh (Al-Dhafra)

MF: Amir Al-Ammari (Cracovia)

MF: Ali Jasim (Al-Najma)

MF: Youssef Amyn (AEK Larnaca)

MF: Zidane Iqbal (Utrecht)

MF: Hasan Abdulkareem (Al-Zawraa)

MF: Marko Farji (Venezia)

MF: Kevin Yakob (AGF)

MF: Aimar Sher (Sarpsborg)

MF: Peter Gwargis (Duhok)

MF: Zaid Ismail (Al-Talaba)

FW: Aymen Hussein (Al-Karma)

FW: Mohanad Ali (Dibba)

FW: Ali Al-Hamadi (Luton Town)

FW: Ali Yousif (Al-Talaba)

June 16, 2026: Iraq vs Norway, Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, United States

June 22, 2026: France vs Iraq, Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, United States

June 26, 2026: Senegal vs Iraq, BMO Field, Toronto, Canada

March 31, 2026: Iraq 2-1 Bolivia, Estadio BBVA, Guadalupe, Mexico

November 18, 2025: Iraq 2-1 United Arab Emirates, Basra International Stadium, Basra, Iraq

November 13, 2025: United Arab Emirates 1-1 Iraq, Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi, UAE

October 14, 2025: Saudi Arabia 0-0 Iraq, King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

October 11, 2025: Iraq 1-0 Indonesia, King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

June 10, 2025: Jordan 0-1 Iraq, Amman International Stadium, Amman, Jordan

June 5, 2025: Iraq 0-2 South Korea, Basra International Stadium, Basra, Iraq

March 25, 2025: Palestine 2-1 Iraq, Amman International Stadium, Amman, Jordan

March 20, 2025: Iraq 2-2 Kuwait, Basra International Stadium, Basra, Iraq

Iraq are positioned in Group I for World Cup 2026.

Graham Arnold is well-versed in the demands of international football. The former Australian forward began coaching in 1989, taking his first international managerial role two decades ago. Arnold has held two separate tenures as head coach of the Australian national team and has also managed clubs in both the A-League and Japan’s J.League.

During his second spell with the Socceroos, Arnold guided Australia to the Round of 16 in the 2022 World Cup, where they were eliminated by eventual champions Argentina in Al-Rayyan.

Following a disappointing run in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, Arnold stepped down from the Australian job 18 months ago. He was quickly appointed to lead Iraq’s national team, tasked with steering them to the World Cup—an objective he successfully achieved.

While several Iraqi players are competing regularly in Europe’s top leagues, forward Mohanad Ali has emerged as one of the standout figures.

At 25 years old, Ali has already earned 70 international caps and scored 27 goals. Though still trailing Iraq’s all-time top scorer Hussein Saeed, his age and the expanding international calendar suggest he has ample opportunities ahead to close the gap.

The Baghdad-born striker spent two extended stints with Al-Shorta before joining Dibba Al-Fujairah in the UAE in 2025, where he has netted six goals in his first 18 league matches.