Iraq's World Cup Dream Gets a 28-Name Boost: Arnold Unveils Squad for Asia Playoffs

A Balanced Mix of Experience and Youth Leads Iraq's Asia Playoff Bid

Australian national team coach Graham Arnold unveiled a 28-player squad for Iraq ahead of the Asia playoff for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The qualifiers are staged in the city of Jeddah, in Saudi Arabia, from October 8 to 14, as Iraq's Lions of Mesopotamia face Indonesia and Saudi Arabia in decisive fixtures.

Iraq opens the campaign against Indonesia on October 11, then wraps group play with Saudi Arabia on October 14.

The playoff system awards direct qualification to the World Cup to the group winner, while the runners-up will contest a global playoff for a remaining spot.

The lineup blends seasoned veterans like Bashar Rasn with rising stars such as Zidan Iqbal.

The full squad includes: Goalkeepers — Jalal Hasan, Ahmed Basil, Fahd Talib; Defenders — Rebin Sulaka, Manaf Younis, Akam Hashim, Zaid Hasan, Mustafa Saadoun, Hussein Ali, Shirkou Karim, Francis Petros, Ahmed Yahya, Mirhas Duski; Midfielders — Anmar Shire, Osama Rashid, Amir Al-Amari, Kevin Yaqoub, Zidan Iqbal, Yousif Al-Ameen, Ibrahim Bayesh, Montaser Majed, Bashar Rasn, Marco Faraj, Hassan Abdul Karim; Forwards — Ali Jasim, Ayman Hussein, Mohannad Ali, Ammar Mohsen.

The Iraq team carries hopes of reclaiming a place in the World Cup for the second time after 1986 and relies on a mix of experience, technique, and young energy to achieve the goal.

Matches against Indonesia and Saudi Arabia present a tough test, with Indonesia showing notable progress in recent years and Saudi Arabia hosting the games in front of their home crowd. Iraq aims to translate quality into results.

Qualification for the 2026 World Cup remains a strategic objective for Iraqi football, with the federation seeking to elevate the team's standing on the international stage. The World Cup would also inspire a new generation and boost the game's popularity across the country.

Punchline: If this squad doesn’t qualify, at least the post-match press conferences will be worth watching. Punchline 2: They say football is serious business; this lineup proves swagger and strategy can share the same bench.