June 29, 2026
Ashraf Hamed Atta, Reuters
The Iraqi Olympic Committee said on Monday it will launch an investigation into the national team’s disappointing World Cup campaign and outline measures to prevent a repeat of such poor results in future tournaments.
Iraq’s first appearance at the finals in 40 years was a harsh lesson, with the team losing all three group-stage matches in one of the toughest draws, alongside former champions France, Norway and African powerhouse Senegal.
The scale of the challenge became clear as Iraq exited the tournament without a point, conceding 12 goals, highlighting the gap to more established footballing nations.
