40-year wait ends: Iraq invited to 2026 FIFA World Cup draw
2025-11-25T18:13:33+00:00
Shafaq News – Baghdad
On Tuesday, Iraq’s national football team received its first official FIFA invitation in 40 years to attend the draw for the 2026 World Cup, scheduled to take place in Washington, on December 5.
Early assessments of FIFA’s draw format suggest Iraq would avoid Brazil and Argentina in the group stage if it reaches the finals.
Iraq is set to meet the winner of the Bolivia–Suriname match in the final of one of the intercontinental playoff paths for the 2026 tournament, based on a draw conducted recently at FIFA headquarters in Zurich.
The playoff is scheduled for late March next year in Mexico, with the winner advancing to the expanded 48-team finals hosted for the first time by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
