Iraq began their preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Andorra in an international friendly on Friday.
Ali Yusuf scored the only goal of the match in the 21st minute, firing home a powerful long-range effort to hand the Lions of Mesopotamia a narrow win.
Iraq started the match with Fahad Talib in goal, alongside Zaid Tahseen, Akam Hashem, Ahmed Yahya, Mustafa Saadoun, Emar Sher, Zidane Iqbal, Ahmed Qasim, Marko Faraj, Mohanad Ali, and Ali Yusuf.
The friendly forms part of Iraq’s final training camp before travelling to the United States for the World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada from June 11 to July 19. Graham Arnold’s side is scheduled to face Spain on June 4 in its final warm-up match before the start of the tournament.
The Spanish training camp represents the final stage of Iraq’s preparations, with the coaching staff using the remaining friendlies to assess player readiness, finalize tactical plans, and determine the squad that will compete on football’s biggest stage.
Iraq secured qualification for the World Cup after ending a 40-year absence with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Bolivia in Monterrey, Mexico, in the intercontinental playoff final. The Lions of Mesopotamia will make only their second appearance at the tournament, having previously competed at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.
The Iraqi national team joins seven other Arab nations at the expanded 48-team World Cup, including Jordan, Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Algeria.
Iraq has been drawn into a challenging group alongside France, Senegal, and Norway for the 2026 tournament.
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