• Iraq national team placed in Group D

Australian coach Graham Arnold, head of the Iraq national football team, revealed the official 23-man squad of the "Lions of Mesopotamia" for the FIFA Arab Cup 2025, hosted by Qatar from December 1 to 18.

Squad mix of experience and attack: The roster blends international experience, led by the captain and main goalkeeper, with young attacking talents, reflecting Arnold’s ambition to compete strongly for the Arab title.

• Goalkeepers: Jalal Hassan – Fahad Taleb – Ahmed Basil

• Defenders: Saad Natiq – Akam Hashim – Munaf Yunus – Maitham Jabbar – Mustafa Saadoun – Osama Rashid – Amir Sabah – Hussein Ali

• Midfielders: Ahmed Yahya – Ahmed McKenzie – Hasan Abdul Karim – Marco Faraj – Sajad Jassim – Ibrahim Baish – Karrar Nabil

• Forwards: Ammar Mohsen – Mohammed Jawad – Ayman Hussein – Ali Jassim – Muhannad Ali

Iraq in Group D: Iraq will play in Group D alongside strong teams, including Algeria and winners from qualifying playoffs.

• Opening match: Iraq faces the winner of Bahrain vs Djibouti.

• Other teams in group: Algeria, and the winner of Lebanon vs Sudan.

Arnold hopes the Arab Cup will serve as a test ahead of Iraq’s World Cup 2026 intercontinental playoff, providing an opportunity to finalize the squad before the bigger challenge.

Preparation for World Cup playoff: The intercontinental playoff draw, held in Zurich by FIFA, sets a tough path for Iraq. The "Lions of Mesopotamia" will face a team from South America or Suriname in the final step toward World Cup qualification.

• Iraq is placed in “Path 2” and will meet the winner of the Bolivia vs Suriname semifinal.

• The playoff matches will take place during the international break in March 2026, hosted in Mexico at Estadio Akron (Guadalajara) and Estadio BBVA (Monterrey). Winners qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup.

Dramatic Asian playoff victory: Iraq secured its spot in the intercontinental playoff after a thrilling 2-1 win over the UAE in the second leg of the Asian playoff at Basra International Stadium, clinching the aggregate 3-2 after a 1-1 draw in the first leg.