Iraq Coach Graham Arnold Urges FIFA To Postpone World Cup Play-off Amid Iran Conflict

The head coach of the Iraq national football team, Graham Arnold, has called on FIFA to postpone Iraq’s crucial inter-continental play-off for the 2026 FIFA World Cup because of travel disruption caused by the ongoing US-Israeli conflict with Iran.

Iraq are due to face either Bolivia or Suriname in the Mexican city of Monterrey on 31 March. The winner will claim a place at the 2026 World Cup, which will be staged across the United States, Mexico and Canada from 11 June.

However, Iraq fear they may struggle to assemble their full squad because air travel from the country has been severely disrupted. Iraqi airspace has remained closed since 28 February after US-Israeli strikes on Iran sparked missile and drone retaliation across parts of the Middle East.

Arnold warned that relying only on players based outside Iraq would seriously weaken the side ahead of what he described as the country’s biggest football match in decades.

“It wouldn’t be our best team and we need our best team for the country’s biggest game in 40 years,” the Australian said.

“The Iraqi people are so passionate about the game that it is insane. The fact that they haven’t qualified for 40 years is probably the main reason I took this job.

“But at this stage with the airport being shut down, we are working hard to try and find another alternative.”

Iraq reached the inter-continental play-off after edging the United Arab Emirates 3-2 on aggregate in the fifth round of Asia’s World Cup qualifiers last November.

Bolivia will first face Suriname in the play-off semi-final on 26 March. The winner of that clash is scheduled to meet Iraq five days later for the final World Cup ticket.

Arnold believes pushing the decisive tie closer to the tournament would allow Iraq to prepare properly if travel restrictions persist.

“If Fifa was to delay the game it would give us time to prepare properly,” Arnold said.

“Let Bolivia play Suriname this month and then a week before the World Cup, we play the winner in the US. The winner of that game stays on and the loser goes home.

“Our federation’s president Adnan Dirjal is working around the clock trying to plan and prepare to make everyone in Iraq’s dream come true so we need this decision made quickly.”