Forty years is a long time to wait. Iraq's last World Cup appearance was Mexico 1986 — group stage exits to Paraguay, Belgium, and the hosts. Now, after one of the longest qualification journeys in this tournament's history, the Lions of Mesopotamia are back, and they've been handed one of the toughest groups in the draw to welcome them.
Group I features 2018 champions France, a Norway side built around Erling Haaland, and African heavyweights Senegal. Iraq's opening match at Gillette Stadium — operating as Boston Stadium for the duration of the tournament — is against Norway. There is no gentle reintroduction to this stage.
The players who got them here
Ali Al-Hamadi leads the attack. The Ipswich Town striker became the first Iraqi to play in the Premier League, and he'll be the focal point for goals in a group where Iraq will spend significant time defending. Aymen Hussein — who scored the goal that clinched the intercontinental playoff win over Bolivia — brings momentum and a sense of occasion that matters in tournament football.
The midfield is where Iraq's ceiling gets interesting. Nashville SC's Ahmed Qasem only switched international allegiance from Sweden to Iraq on May 11, so his integration will be something to watch closely. Zidane Iqbal (FC Utrecht) and Amir Al-Ammari (Cracovia) give the engine room genuine European experience. Captain and goalkeeper Jalal Hassan is the veteran anchor at the back, with Akam Hashim organising the defensive line in front of him.
Qualification alone was a test of character. Iraq cruised an AFC second round, then ground through the third, fourth, and fifth rounds before reaching the inter-confederation playoffs as second seeds. They beat Bolivia 3-1 on aggregate to take the last spot in the tournament. By the time the whistle blows in Foxboro, they'll have played more competitive matches to get there than almost anyone else in the field.
What to realistically expect
Against France and a Haaland-led Norway, Iraq are live outsiders to advance from the group. Any bookmaker pricing them to reach the Round of 32 is reflecting that reality. But this isn't a side that stumbled into the tournament — they were battle-hardened through five rounds of qualifying and won a continental title as recently as 2007.
If Iraq progress as group winners, their path runs through a Round of 32 and Round of 16 before a potential quarterfinal back at Boston Stadium on July 9. That scenario requires results that would rank among the tournament's great upsets. Possible, not probable.
The full 26-man squad, for reference:
- Goalkeepers: Jalal Hassan (Al-Zawraa), Fahad Talib (Al-Talaba), Ahmed Basil (Al-Shorta)
- Defenders: Rebin Sulaka (Port FC), Merchas Doski (Viktoria Plzeň), Hussein Ali (Pogoń Szczecin), Frans Putros (Persib), Manaf Younis (Al-Shorta), Mustafa Sadoon (Al-Shorta), Zaid Tahseen (Pakhtakor FC), Ahmed Yahya (Al-Shorta), Akam Hashim (Al-Zawraa)
- Midfielders: Amir Al-Ammari (Cracovia), Zidane Iqbal (FC Utrecht), Ibrahim Bayesh (Al-Dhafra), Youssef Amyn (AEK Larnaca), Ali Jasim (Al-Najma), Zaid Ismail (Al-Talaba), Aimar Sher (Sarpsborg 08), Kevin Yakob (AGF), Marko Farji (Venezia FC), Ahmed Qasem (Nashville SC)
- Forwards: Aymen Hussein (Al-Karma), Ali Al-Hamadi (Ipswich Town), Mohanad Ali (Dibba FC), Ali Yousif (Al-Talaba)
Iraq will be based at The Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia for the duration of the tournament. A long way from Baghdad — and a long way from 1986.
