Iraq, Bosnia and Herzegovina qualify for FIFA World Cup 2026
Iraq, and Bosnia and Herzegovina - the two Muslim dominated countries that battled Zionist imposed wars, have qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup 2026: Iraq, and Bosnia and Herzegovina - the two Muslim dominated countries that battled Zionist imposed wars, have qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Iraq ended a 40-year wait to qualify for the 2026 Football World Cup with a 2-1 victory over Bolivia in the second final of the intercontinental playoffs in Mexico.
Iraq is the 48th team, and the last team, to qualify for the tournament.
Iraq’s appearance at the qualifying match was doubtful as the team was affected by the travel chaos because of the ongoing war between U.S., Israel and Iran.
Weeks before their appearance in the playoff final, Iraq’s coach Graham Arnold pleaded with the organisers to delay their match to allow the squad to assemble and train for the all-important fixture.
The players and coaching staff arrived in Mexico just a week before the match on a charter flight and began preparations in the host city.
“I must congratulate the players, who played with real Iraqi mentality, fighting and putting their bodies on the line that helped us to win the game,” a delighted Arnold said after Iraq’s win.
Iraq will be placed in one of the toughest groups at the World Cup. Their opponents in Group I will be France, Norway and Senegal.
Iraq will begin its FIFA World Cup campaign with its first match scheduled against Norway on June 16 in Boston. Their second fixture will be against 2018 champions France on June 22 in Philadelphia, and final group game, against Senegal, will take place four days later in Toronto, Canada.
Iraq had last played the football world cup in 1986, its only appearance in the most popular sport tournament.
Bosnia beats Italy to qualify for FIFA WC 2026
Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) stunned Italy in a penalty shootout on Tuesday to qualify for the 2026 Football World Cup at the expense of the four-time champions, who have not been back to the tournament since 2014.
Bosnia won 4-1 on penalties after their playoff final finished 1-1 at the end of extra time, with Italy having to play with 10 men following Alessandro Bastoni’s sending-off late in the first half.
With this defeat, Italy has now failed to qualify for three consecutive World Cups, as Bosnia go into Group B at the finals in June and July alongside Canada, Qatar and Switzerland.
Bosnia and Herzegovina will start its 2026 Football World Cup match on June 12, 2026 against Canada. The country’s second match will be against Switzerland on June 18, and 3rd against Qatar on June 24, 2026.
Bosnia had last played the football world cup in 2014, its only appearance in the tournament after becoming an independent country.
In a related development, Turkiye and Sweden booked their places at the FIFA World Cup 2026 with victories against Kosovo and Poland, respectively. Both sides were able to settle their matches, with 1-0 and 3-2 results, inside normal time.
The 2026 edition of the World Cup will be the first to feature 48 teams and three host countries. The United States will have 11 of the 16 hosts cities at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will also feature matches in Mexico and Canada.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will open on June 11, 2026 with the first match played between Mexico Vs South Africa. The 2026 World Cup Final will be played at New York New Jersey Stadium (MetLife Stadium) on July 19, 2026.
[With inputs from Al Jazeera]
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