Iraq national football team suffered a 2-0 defeat to Venezuela national football team in their final friendly before the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The match, played in Chicago, United States, served as the last preparation for the Iraqi side ahead of the tournament, which kicks off on Thursday across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Venezuela secured victory through goals from Cristian Cásseres Jr. in the 17th minute and Jesús Ramírez shortly after the restart in the 46th minute.
Iraq's evening became even more difficult when forward Ali Youssef was sent off, leaving the team with ten men.
The defeat concludes Iraq's World Cup preparations as the nation returns to football's biggest stage after securing qualification through the intercontinental playoffs.
The "Lions of Mesopotamia" have been drawn into a challenging group featuring Norway, France, and Senegal.
Iraq will begin its World Cup campaign against Norway on June 17 before facing France on June 23 and Senegal on June 26.
Follow the latest news on Google News
