Iraq men’s football team coach calls for postponement

The Football Association which administers football in Iraq has requested FIFA postpone the national men’s team’s World Cup 2026 playoff match, scheduled for March 31 in Monterrey, Mexico.

The request for postponement stems from the security situation in the Middle East and the inability of the team to travel from Baghdad, according to a source cited by Agence France-Presse (AFP).

The source explained that the Iraqi FA’s request was a result of the airspace closures and the current security risks in the region, which are preventing the team from leaving the capital.

Iraq coach Graham Arnold said:

About 60% of my players play in Iraq, all my backroom staff live in Iraq, all my medical staff live in Qatar and we’re having trouble getting Mexican visas at this moment.

Iraq: a team stranded

Meanwhile, Arnold himself remains stranded in Dubai, unable to travel to Baghdad to finalise the squad and begin preparations for the crucial match.

The Iraqi national team was scheduled to travel to Houston, Texas, for a training camp ahead of their crucial World Cup qualifier against the winner of the Bolivia-Suriname match. However, these plans were canceled due to the current travel restrictions.

In an interview with CNN, Arnold suggested postponing the match, saying:

Let Bolivia play Suriname this month, and then a week before the World Cup, we play the winner in the United States. The winner of that match qualifies.

The coach concluded by emphasising the need for FIFA to make a swift decision on the matter, arguing that the current circumstances make the situation unfair to the Iraqi national team.

The intercontinental play-off is scheduled to determine the final two teams to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, which will feature 48 teams, at a time of escalating tensions in the Middle East since late February following the US-Israeli strikes on Tehran.

Featured image via the Canary