Iraq

Iraq are an AFC national team and 2007 Asia Cup winners who qualified for the 2026 World Cup for the first time since their only previous appearance in 1986, ending a 40-year absence from the tournament.

The Lions of Mesopotamia’s 2007 Asia Cup triumph is the defining moment of modern Iraqi football and one of sport’s most emotionally weighted victories. Iraq won the tournament in July 2007, beating South Korea 4-3 on penalties in the semi-final and Saudi Arabia 1-0 in the final in Jakarta, while the country was in the middle of a violent sectarian civil conflict that killed hundreds of civilians daily. Younus Mahmoud’s 71st-minute header against Saudi Arabia was followed by celebrations in Baghdad, Basra, and Mosul, where supporters poured onto streets despite the security conditions. The celebrations, in some districts, turned fatal. People were killed by gunfire during the rejoicing.

The victory has never been fully separable from its context. A football tournament won while a war was being fought, celebrated under conditions no one in the sport would otherwise accept, the goal that won it struck by a player who was crying on the pitch at the final whistle. The 2007 Asia Cup remains one of the most human events in football history.

The 2026 qualifying campaign under Jesús Casas was the first time Iraq had demonstrated the consistency to progress through the modern AFC format, which now requires sustained quality over extended qualifying rounds rather than regional tournament wins. Aymen Hussein and Amjad Attwan provide attacking quality. Mohanad Ali brings pace and directness from wide areas. Ali Adnan, who played in MLS and Serie B, was the experienced left-back presence.

The squad composition reflects a footballing infrastructure that has rebuilt slowly but with genuine intent. Iraq’s domestic league has benefited from investment and increased attendances. The national team’s performances at the 2023 and 2024 Gulf Cup confirmed they were no longer a wildcard but a consistent AFC qualifier.

Baghdad is in the AST timezone (UTC+3). For fans in Iraq, a 19:00 CDT kickoff in the United States translates to 03:00 the following morning in Baghdad, an inconvenience the country’s football fans will willingly absorb to watch a team that waited 40 years for this.