After hard-fought battles, Iraq finally qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026. Starting the qualification brilliantly, Lions of Mesopotamia faced some tough hurdles, as they fought till the end of the fifth round to secure their historic second qualification in FIFA World Cup history.
Iraq started the second round of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualification (AFC) from Group A, where they faced Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. They scored 17 goals and conceded only twice, as they dominantly advanced to the main round, third round. They were in Group B in the third round, where they competed against Oman, Kuwait, Palestine, South Korea, and Jordan. After recording three wins, three draws, and one loss, Lions of Mesopotamia suffered two back-to-back defeats, as there ending with a 1-0 away win against Jordan wasn’t enough for direct qualification, but they advanced to the fourth round.
In the fourth round, Iraq fought in Group B against Saudi Arabia and Indonesia. After defeating Indonesia by 1-0, Iraq had a goalless draw against the hosts Saudi Arabia, as Iraq failed to directly qualify for the WC 2026 once again due to scoring lesser goals than Saudi Arabia.
In the fifth round, Iraq faced the United Arab Emirates, which ended in an aggregate score of 3-2 (1-1; 2-1) in the favour of Lions of Mesopotamia, as Iraq ultimately put their name for the upcoming FIFA World Cup.
Iraq's performances in the FIFA WC 2026 Qualification AFC (Second Round) Group F
Iraq 5 – 1 Indonesia
Vietnam 0 – 1 Iraq
Iraq 1 – 0 Philippines
Philippines 0 – 5 Iraq
Indonesia 0 – 2 Iraq
Iraq 3 – 1 Vietnam
Iraq's performances in the FIFA WC 2026 Qualification AFC (Third Round) Group B
Iraq 1 – 0 Oman
Kuwait 0 – 0 Iraq
Iraq 1 – 0 Palestine
South Korea 3 – 2 Iraq
Iraq 0 – 0 Jordan
Oman 0 – 1 Iraq
Iraq 2 – 2 Kuwait
Palestine 2 – 1 Iraq
Iraq 0 – 2 South Korea
Jordan 0 – 1 Iraq
Iraq's performances in the FIFA WC 2026 Qualification AFC (Fourth Round) Group B
Iraq 1 – 0 Indonesia
Saudi Arabia 0 –.0 Iraq
Iraq's performances in the FIFA WC 2026 Qualification AFC (Fifth Round)
United Arab Emirates 1 – 1 Iraq
Iraq 2 – 1 United Arab Emirates
Iraq qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026 after defeating the United Arab Emirates 3-2 on aggregate in the fifth round.
Iraq’s Complete FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualification Stats
Matches played: 19
Won: 11
Drawn: 5
Lost: 3
Goals Scored: 30
Goals Conceded: 13
Leading Goal Scorer: Aymen Hussein – 8 goals
Iraq FIFA World Cup records
The FIFA World Cup 2026 appearance will be Iraq’s second WC appearance, after making their debut in the 1986 edition, where they lost all the matches.
Iraq group stage schedule in the FIFA World Cup 2026
In the FIFA World Cup 2026, Iraq will be in Group I, where they will face Norway, France, and Senegal.
June 16: Iraq vs Norway at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough (18:00 local time)
June 22: France vs Iraq at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia (17:00 local time)
June 26: Senegal vs Iraq at BMO Field, Toronto (15:00 local time)
