Iraq World Cup 2026 squad: Graham Arnold's final 26-man selection (original) (raw)

Iraq's forward #09 Ali al-Hamadi celebrates scoring his team's fifth goal during the 2026 FIFA World Cup AFC qualifiers football match between Iraq and Indonesia at the Basra International Stadium on November 16, 2023. (Photo by Hussein Faleh / AFP)

Ali Al-Hamadi of Iraq (Image credit: Getty Images)

The Iraq World Cup 2026 squad will arrive in North America in the summer with history at their fingertips.

World Cup 2026 will be Iraq's first appearance at the finals since 1986, when three defeats out of three confirmed their early exit. 40 years on, Graham Arnold's class of 2026 earned return to the biggest stage and a long-awaited chance to pick up their first-ever finals win.

After beating Bolivia in the inter-confederation play-offs in March, Iraq will meet Senegal, Norway and France – one of the World Cup favourites – in Group I this summer.

At World Cup 1986 in Mexico, the Iraqi team made up the numbers. They were beaten by Mexico, Paraguay and Belgium, scoring only once in their defeat at the hands of the excellent Red Devils.

The Gulf nation's journey back to the finals has been impossibly complicated for obvious reasons that have nothing to do with football. After nine World Cups away, in the current geopolitical climate, the meaning of Iraq returning and playing in the United States outstrips whatever happens on the pitch.

Arnold's squad for the play-off final was packed with international experience. Striker Aymen Hussein has more than 90 senior caps, and only five of his fellow squad members arrive at the World Cup short of double figures.

Leagues in Thailand, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Uzbekistan, Czech Republic, Poland, the Netherlands, Cyprus, Italy, Denmark, Norway and England are all represented.

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Squad

Iraq World Cup 2026 squad: The final selection

Fixtures

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Group I standings

Iraq are in Group I at World Cup 2026.

Manager

Who is Iraq's manager?

AL RAYYAN, QATAR - DECEMBER 12: Graham Arnold, Head Coach of Iraq, looks on during the FIFA Arab Cup 2025 Quarter Final match between Jordan and Iraq at Education City Stadium on December 12, 2025 in Al Rayyan, Qatar. (Photo by Mohamed Farag - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

Iraq manager Graham Arnold (Image credit: Getty Images)

Graham Arnold knows the score. The former Australia forward started his coaching career in 1989 and took on his first international head coach role 20 years ago. That was the first of two spells in charge of the Australian national team, in between which he's lent his services to clubs in the A-League and the J.League in Japan.

In his second spell as manager of the Socceroos, Arnold steered Australia to the round of 16 at World Cup 2022. There, they were defeated by eventual winners Argentina in Al-Rayyan.

Arnold resigned 18 months ago after some disappointing results in World Cup qualifying. He was soon snapped up to lead Iraq to World Cup 2026. Talk about getting the job done.

Iraq's Star Player

Who is Iraq's star player?

AL RAYYAN, QATAR - DECEMBER 12: Mohanad Ali of Iraq appears dejected after the FIFA Arab Cup 2025 Quarter Final match between Jordan and Iraq at Education City Stadium on December 12, 2025 in Al Rayyan, Qatar. (Photo by Mohamed Farag - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

Mohanad Ali of Iraq (Image credit: Getty Images)

While a handful of Iraq's players are playing regular football in some of the most competitiveleagues in Europe Mohanad Ali is becoming the headline act.

Ali is 25 years of age and has collected 70 caps. His 27 goals leave him a long way behind legendary striker Hussein Saeed, but time and an increasingly busy international calendar are on his side in that regard.

The Baghdad-born striker had two long spells at the city's Al-Shorta club before a 2025 move to the United Arab Emirates and Dibba of Dibba Al-Fujairah, where he has scored six goals in his first 18 league appearances.

Best XI

Chris is a Warwickshire-based freelance football writer specialising in West Midlands football, the Premier League, the EFL and the J.League. He is the author of the High Protein Beef Paste football newsletter and owner of Aston Villa Review. He supports Coventry Sphinx.