Iraq’s return to the World Cup lasted exactly three matches and zero points. Graham Arnold, the man who coached them there, wouldn’t trade it for anything.
The Australian manager, appointed as Iraq’s head coach on May 9, 2025, oversaw the national team’s first FIFA World Cup appearance since 1986. That’s a 40-year gap between tournament appearances, a stretch long enough that most of the current squad wasn’t alive the last time Iraq played on football’s biggest stage.
The road to qualification was the real story
Getting to the 2026 World Cup required Iraq to grind through 21 matches across four rounds of qualification. The defining moment came on April 1, 2026, when Iraq beat Bolivia 2-1 in a playoff to clinch their spot. The qualification campaign included a 117th-minute penalty that secured a crucial victory along the way.
Arnold, who previously guided Australia to the round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup before resigning in September 2024, understood what it meant to manage a team through the pressure of qualification.
