Iraq qualify but Iran doubts loom

After 23 matches, a 25-hour journey, a rejected request for postponement and the complications of playing amid a war that has taken its toll, Iraq have made the World Cup for the first time since 1986.

A 2-1 playoff win over Bolivia in Monterrey Stadium in Mexico on Tuesday saw wild celebrations in Iraq.

The Iraq team, led by Australian coach Graham Arnold, arrived in Mexico last week after an arduous three-day journey, with some players forced to make parts of the journey overland thanks to the shutdown of air traffic in the region as a result of the US-Israel war with Iran.

Arnold had asked for the match to be postponed due to the logistical difficulties but was happy to see his team overcome the challenges. “Delighted for the players, very good boys, very happy for the 46 million Iraqis,” he said.

‘Let’s shock the world’

“Hopefully it will help change the perception of Iraq and the football in Iraq. Doing something in the World Cup nobody expects us to do. Let’s shock the world.”

More than 100 Iraqis have died in the war but the country took to the streets after the final whistle blew, with a two day national holiday announced.

“Despite the dire economic situation and the war, our national team won,” fan Ali al-Muhandis told news agency AFP. “We in Iraq excel in exceptional circumstances. We are living through a war that has nothing to do with us, because it’s between Iran, America and Israel.”

Iraq had been enjoying a period of relative stability but has been dragged into the conflict, with attacks targeting both US interests in Iraq and strikes on pro-Iran armed groups in the country.

This morning FIFA announced that: “The line-up for the FIFA World Cup 2026 has been completed with six teams clinching the remaining places among the 48 that will make the upcoming tournament in North America the most inclusive ever.”

Iran protests and position cast real World Cup doubt

But real questions remain about Iran’s participation in the tournament. The Iranian federation has repeatedly cast doubt over the team’s participation and lobbied for their games to be moved from the USA to Mexico.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino attended the Iranian national team’s 5-0 win over Costa Rica in Turkey on Tuesday in which Iranian players held pictures of children killed in US and Israeli strikes on the country during the national anthem, the second such protest in their March international friendlies. In the first, the players wore black armbands held children’s rucksacks to commemorate the victims of a strike on a primary school in Iran on the first day of the war.

Iran’s women’s team also protested against the regime during their Asian Cup campaign in Australia last month with several players granted asylum to stay in Australia and some then backtracking.  Nevertheless, Infantino refused to countenance the possibility that Iran would not fulfil their fixtures in the US.

“Iran will be at the World Cup,” Infantino said at halftime. “That’s why we’re here. We’re delighted because they’re a very, very strong team, I’m very happy.” He then added: “I’ve seen the team, I’ve spoken to the players and the coach, so everything is fine.”

It seems unlikely that Washington and Tehran feel the same. US President Donald Trump, the recipient of FIFA’S new Peace Prize last year, said last month that Iran should not travel “for their own life and safety”. Iran’s sports minister, Ahmad Donyamali, has also previously said that “under no circumstances can we participate” while a statement from the team’s Instagram account said: “no one can exclude Iran’s national team from the World Cup.”

FIFA’s reluctance to wrangle with a potential Iranian boycott leaves the question of who would replace them open. The organization’s laws state that: “A nominated alternate, often the direct runner-up from the relevant qualifying playoff or highest-ranked non-qualified team from that confederation””should qualify, which may end up being the United Arab Emirates, given Iraq’s win. But nothing is certain.

Bosnia, DR Congo jubilant as Italy miss out again

Things are a little clearer for the other five playoff winners on Tuesday. In Europe, Czech Republic, Turkey, Sweden and Bosnia and Herzegovina all won through. The latter beat Italy on penalties to condemn the Azzuri to a third consecutive missed World Cup and spark wild scenes in Sarajevo and elsewhere in the country.

“What can I say? We saw everything after that last penalty. Great pride,” defender Nikola Katic said. “I’ve never cried after a game, I’m 29 years old, and now the tears have started.”

There were similar feelings as the DR Congo punched their World Cup ticket for the first time in 1974, when they were known as Zaire.

The 48-team tournament has drawn criticism for expanding the tournament in an already packed football calendar and diluting quality but has given opportunities to those beyond the normal qualifiers. Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan will all make their tournament debuts later this year.

Edited by: Chuck Penfold