Iraq's World Cup coach: We Will Fight Every Minute
Shafaq News- Baghdad
Iraq's national football team coach Graham Arnold said Saturday that qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, scheduled for next month across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and Iraq's first appearance at the tournament in 40 years, was never the ultimate goal, but making Iraq proud on the world stage is.
Speaking at a press conference held at the Iraqi Football Association headquarters in Baghdad, the Australian coach outlined his preparation plan for the tournament, acknowledging that Iraq faces a brutal group, Norway, France, and Senegal, but framed it as an opportunity rather than an obstacle.
France, he said, is the best team in the world. Norway comes first on his tactical priority list. And Senegal rounds out what he called "a great experience" to play through.
"I don't want to talk only about how we qualified," Arnold said. "What matters is what we achieve there. The most important thing is that we prepare perfectly and work hard so that the Iraqi people are proud of what we present."
Arnold, who first took notice of Iraq after his Australia side lost to them in 2004, said the team's strength lies in unity. "The power of the Iraqi national team lies in everyone coming together as one family: players, fans, and media," he said.
The Iraqi team climbed to 57th in FIFA's October rankings, accumulating 1,428.7 points and 7th in Asia, behind Japan, Iran, South Korea, Australia, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.
On preparation, Arnold confirmed that the squad's next training camp will be held in Girona, Spain, next week, with a friendly against Andorra scheduled for May 29. The delegation then travels to Chicago on June 2, where Iraq will face Venezuela in a friendly on June 11, before heading to White Sulphur Springs, the team's base for the tournament.
Arnold added that a preliminary squad list will be announced in the coming days, to be trimmed progressively to 26 players, then a final 23-man roster as required by FIFA regulations.
"A match starts with 11 against 11," Arnold said. "After that, anything is possible."
