Graham Arnold said postponing the March 31st game would allow scattered team members to gather and prepare.
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Published March 9, 2026
Iraq men’s soccer team head coach Graham Arnold has made an urgent appeal to FIFA to postpone the team’s World Cup intercontinental qualifiers, citing disruption caused by Israel’s escalating war with Iran.
Iraq faces major logistical problems ahead of a winner-take-all playoff against either Suriname or Bolivia scheduled for March 31 in Monterrey, Mexico.
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Due to the war, Iraq’s airspace is closed until April 1st, and Arnold’s team, made up primarily of players from the domestic league, will not be able to assemble in full.
Players have been unable to secure visas for the playoffs in Mexico due to the closure of foreign embassies, and Arnold is stranded in the United Arab Emirates due to a conflict.
“We’re having a hard time getting our players out of the country of Iraq right now, so we’re asking for your help with this game,” former Australian national team coach Arnold told the Australian Associated Press on Sunday.
The disruption has already forced the postponement of a training camp scheduled for Houston, Texas.
Arnold said fielding a team made entirely of players based outside Iraq would hinder the country’s chances of competing in the World Cup for the first time since 1986.
“It’s not going to be our best team. We need the best team that can play in the biggest game in this country in 40 years,” Arnold said.
He suggested strategically delaying the playoff schedule, with FIFA allowing Suriname and Bolivia to play qualifying matches this month, but postponing the final playoffs until a week before the start of the World Cup.
The World Cup will be held from June 11th to July 19th in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
“In my opinion, if FIFA postpones the match, it will give us time to prepare properly,” Arnold said. “In my opinion, FIFA will also give Iran more time to decide what they are going to do.
“If Iran withdraws, we will qualify for the World Cup and the UAE, who won in the qualifiers, will have a chance to prepare for Bolivia or Suriname.”
Iran was the first team to qualify for the World Cup, but the war has put their participation in jeopardy due to both logistical difficulties and an attack on Iran by the host nation, the United States.
Arnold said the love of soccer runs deep across Iraq and the possibility of losing the World Cup spot is heartbreaking news for Mesopotamian Lions fans.
“The Iraqi people have an insane passion for football. The fact that they haven’t qualified for 40 years is probably the main reason I took this job.”
“However, at this stage with the airport closed, we are working hard to find other alternatives.”
The coach emphasized the efforts being made by Iraqi football officials to ensure the team is able to compete.
“Our Federation President Adnan Diljal is working around the clock on plans and preparations to make the Iraq dream a reality, which is why we need to take this decision quickly.”
New Caledonia, Jamaica and the Democratic Republic of Congo will travel to Guadalajara this month to compete in another three-way play-off for a ticket to the World Cup.
