Iraq qualify for World Cup with win over Bolivia

WAM
01 Apr 2026, 12:22 GMT+10

MONTERREY, Mexico, 1st April, 2026 (WAM) -- Iraq grabbed the last available place at the World Cup by beating Bolivia 2-1 in their inter-confederation playoff on Tuesday, sealing their return to the finals after a 40-year absence.

Aymen Hussein steered home a second-half winner to see the Iraqis become the 48th and last team to qualify for the tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

Ali Al Hamadi handed Iraq a 10th-minute lead at the Monterrey Stadium, but Bolivia were level at the break through Moises Paniagua.

Iraq will compete in Group I at the 11th June to 19th July World Cup along with France, Norway and Senegal.

Iraq's only previous World Cup appearance was in Mexico in 1986, where they lost all three group games.

Watch latest videos

News RELEASES

Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Iran Herald.

More Information

Business

Section

Iran war threatens high-margin Gulf market for luxury cars

LONDON/BERLIN/MILAN: Luxury carmakers are bracing for a hit to one of their most profitable markets as the war in Iran disrupts demand...

China’s BYD posts first profit drop since 2021 amid rivalry

HONG KONG: Chinese automaker BYD said on March 27 that its annual sales rose to a record US$116 billion, outpacing Tesla's, but its...

Fink’s compensation jumps to $37.7 million after strong year

NEW YORK CITY, New York: BlackRock CEO Larry Fink saw his compensation rise sharply in 2025, buoyed by higher stock awards after a...

Wall Street skyrockets higher, Nasdaq gains nearly 800 points

NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks closed sharply higher on Tuesday, with all three major indexes posting robust gains as technology...

Judge allows lawsuits over Colgate kids rinse packaging

CHICAGO, Illinois: A U.S. judge has allowed two lawsuits against Colgate-Palmolive to proceed, finding that its children's mouth rinse...

Tariff fears stall business in Canada’s Windsor border hub

WINDSOR, Canada: FASTSIGNS, a Canadian company based in Windsor, Ontario, that designs and installs custom business signs and graphics,...

Middle East

Section