Nation dossier · Group I · In contention
Iraq
Republic of Iraq
Up next Senegal v Iraq · Group I
Title probability
0.0%
as of 2026-06-25
Overview
Iraq arrive at their first World Cup since 1986 carrying the weight of a passionate nation behind them. Under a settled coaching setup, the Lions of Mesopotamia have blended battle-hardened domestic stars with a growing diaspora of European-based talent to finally break their long qualification drought.
Form has been encouraging — solid defensively, dangerous on transitions, and increasingly comfortable controlling games in midfield. Expectations are tempered by their modest pedigree, but there is genuine belief that this generation can compete rather than merely participate.
Capital
Baghdad
Population
43,500,000
Confederation
AFC
FIFA code
IRQ
From Wikipedia
Republic of Iraq fields one of the 48 national teams contesting the 2026 FIFA World Cup across the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Source: Wikipedia →Squad
- 135caps
Jalal Hassan
Al-Shorta · Reliable first-choice shot-stopper
- 1218caps
Fahad Talib
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya · Commanding presence between posts
- 236caps
Ahmed Basil
Al-Zawraa · Promising young understudy
- 224caps
Merchas Doski
Sandefjord · European-based attacking full-back
- 320caps
Rebin Sulaka
Amiens · Composed ball-playing centre-back
- 430caps
Zaid Tahseen
Al-Shorta · Aerially dominant defensive anchor
- 522caps
Mustafa Nadhim
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya · Tough-tackling central defender
- 628caps
Hussein Ali
Al-Shorta · Versatile defensive workhorse
- 1315caps
Ahmed Yahya
Al-Karkh · Energetic overlapping right-back
- 1540caps
Saad Natiq
Al-Najma · Experienced leader at the back
- 2112caps
Akam Hashim
Erbil · Emerging left-sided defender
- 748caps
Bashar Resan
Persepolis · Tireless midfield orchestrator
- 826caps
Amir Al-Ammari
Halmstad · Box-to-box engine and metronome
- 1032caps
Ibrahim Bayesh
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya · Creative deep-lying playmaker
- 1436caps
Osama Rashid
Vitoria · Calm tempo-setting controller
- 1618caps
Sajjad Jassim
Al-Shorta · Dynamic pressing midfielder
- 1714caps
Zidane Iqbal
Utrecht · Technical dual-national prospect
- 2016caps
Karrar Mohammed
Al-Zawraa · Direct attacking midfielder
- 950caps
Aymen Hussein
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya · Captain and prolific target man
- 1142caps
Mohanad Ali
Al-Duhail · Clinical poacher and talisman
- 1820caps
Ali Jasim
Como · Pacey wing threat
- 1913caps
Manaf Younus
Al-Talaba · Tricky inverted winger
- 2210caps
Hussein Abdulredha
Al-Shorta · Sharp counter-attacking finisher
Model
as of 2026-06-25Exp. points
0.68
Proj. finish
40.0
Seed Elo
1580
Title-probability trajectory
Champion chance across the last 14 snapshots
Matches
Upcoming
History
2022
Did not qualify / Group stage
Culture
Football culture
Football is the undisputed national obsession, with rabid support for Baghdad giants Al-Shorta, Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya and Al-Zawraa. Street football thrives despite hardship, and the 2007 Asian Cup triumph remains an almost sacred moment of national unity.
Did you know
- The 2007 Asian Cup win came amid immense domestic turmoil, sparking nationwide celebrations.
- Iraq's home matches were long played abroad due to security and infrastructure concerns.
- The Tigris and Euphrates rivers gave birth to the world's earliest written records.
- Striker Aymen Hussein is among Iraq's most prolific modern marksmen.
- The 'Lions of Mesopotamia' draw players from a fast-growing European diaspora.