Boston stadium

FIFA World Cup: Head coach Graham Arnold has exuded confidence in Iraq's football team, stating that his side will look to surprise the world after they qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026 with a thrilling 2-1 win against Bolivia in the final match of the qualifiers played at the Monterrey Stadium on Wednesday.

The qualification marks a significant milestone for Iraq, which will be making only their second appearance at the World Cup and their first since the 1986 FIFA World Cup. In their previous outing, they exited in the group stage after suffering three defeats.

Iraq has been placed in a tough Group I in the World Cup, where they will face 2022 World Cup runner-ups France, along with Senegal and Norway, in the group stage.