Iraq name final 26-man squad for FIFA World Cup 2026 ft. former Man United youngster Zidane Iqbal
(Courtesy : Getty)
This will be their first World Cup campaign in 40 years.
Graham Arnold, the head coach of Iraq, has announced his final 26-man FIFA World Cup 2026 squad, mostly depending on the core group of players that qualified through the intercontinental playoffs.
Aymen Hussein, a seasoned forward, will lead the front line in North America. In addition to Ali Al-Hamadi of Ipswich Town and the gifted young players Ali Jassim and Youssef Amyn, the experienced striker, a talisman for the national team, leads a formidable frontline.
Dario Naamo, a defender for Dundee, was conspicuously left out of Arnold’s selection. The full-back, who had played for Finland at the youth international level, was disqualified after recently switching his sporting nationality.
Arnold’s midfield choices, who include Heerenveen’s Aimar Sher and Utrecht’s Zidane Iqbal, have a great deal of European experience. In order to guard against potential injuries, Arnold has also chosen to retain keeper Kamil Saadi with the team during the training camp.
After defeating Bolivia 2-1 in April to earn the final World Cup spot, Iraq are making their first appearance at the major event in 40 years. They have been placed in Group I with Norway, France, and Senegal.
Iraq’s FIFA World Cup 2026 final squad
Goalkeepers: Fahad Talib, Jalal Hassan, Ahmed Basil
Defenders: Hussein Ali, Manaf Younis, Zaid Tahseen, Rebin Sulaka, Akam Hashem, Merchas Doski, Ahmed Yahya, Zaid Ismail, Frans Putros, Mustafa Saadoon
Midfielders: Amir Al Ammari, Kevin Yakob, Zidane Iqbal, Aimar Sher, Ibrahim Bayesh, Ahmed Qasim, Youssef Amyn, Marko Farji
Forwards: Ali Jassim, Ali Al Hamadi, Ali Yousef, Aymen Hussein, Mohanad Ali
Which group are the Lions of Mesopotamia in?
They are in group I.
When is their first game?
Their first game is on 17th June, 3:30 am IST.
When was the last time they played at the World Cup?
Iraq last played at the FIFA World Cup in 1986, when the tournament was hosted in Mexico.
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After earning a bachelor's degree in mass media, Rajarshi began his career as a sports writer in 2019, driven by his passion for sports journalism. He has been working in the field for over six years. A devoted fan of Lionel Messi and Barcelona, Rajarshi has been involved in sports since childhood. Before turning his focus to journalism, he even represented his college at the state level. Along with covering football, he enjoys playing the game, watching movies, and experimenting with new recipes in his spare time, as cooking is one of his favorite hobbies.