Baghdad, March 15 – The chief of the Iraqi Football Association, Adnan Dirjal, confirmed on Sunday that the team will participate in the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup intercontinental playoffs, which will be held in Monterrey, Mexico, on March 31.
The airspace over the Middle East has been closed since February 28, following US-Israeli strikes, and Iran retaliated by launching missiles and drones at neighboring countries.
Despite the travel difficulties, the Iraqi football team will travel to Mexico by private plane, and visas have already been granted to all players for the important playoffs.
"Infantino (FIFA president) has directed Mattias Grafstrom (FIFA secretary general) to follow up and help overcome all difficulties to facilitate the departure of our national team to Mexico," said Dirjal, as quoted by the BBC.
"The national team will depart at the end of the week to Mexico via a private plane," he added.
Dirjal further stated that the team's goal is to qualify for the multi-national tournament, and the players should focus solely on this.
"My message to everyone: only 17 days remain, and we must focus and prepare for the match. We have one goal, which is qualifying for the World Cup," Dirjal said.
"Therefore, our focus at the Iraqi Football Association and the coaching staff is on providing all the necessary conditions for the players to focus on this match and achieve the dream of the Iraqi fans," he added.
Meanwhile, Iraq will face either Bolivia or Suriname in the playoffs, and the winner will secure their place in the 2026 World Cup.
Iraq last played in the World Cup in 1986, and they will aim to break the 39-year drought in the playoffs, which will be held at the end of the month.
Iraq performed well in the qualifiers. The team secured a 3-2 victory against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the fifth round to qualify for the intercontinental play-off.