The dream of reaching the expanded 2026 FIFA World Cup is still alive for several nations, with the playoff draw setting the stage for dramatic encounters. Among those hopefuls is العراق (Iraq), who now know their path to potentially securing a coveted spot in the tournament hosted across North America. The draw, held on Thursday at FIFA headquarters in Zurich, revealed a challenging but achievable route for the Lions of Mesopotamia. This article details Iraq’s qualification path, the opponents they face, and the broader context of the World Cup playoffs.
مسار العراق نحو كأس العالم 2026 – Iraq’s Path to the 2026 World Cup
Iraq will face the winner of the tie between Bolivia and Suriname in the final of one of the global playoff paths. This comes after a strong showing in the Asian Qualifiers, where Iraq finished second in Group C behind Saudi Arabia, ultimately booking their place in the playoff round. Their journey to this point included a crucial 3-2 aggregate victory over the United Arab Emirates in the fifth round, showcasing their resilience and attacking prowess. The expanded format of the 2026 World Cup, featuring 48 teams, significantly increased the opportunities for nations like Iraq to compete on the global stage.
تفاصيل قرعة الملحق العالمي – Details of the Global Playoff Draw
The playoff matches, scheduled to take place between March 23rd and 31st in Mexico, will determine the final few participants in the first-ever 48-team World Cup. The draw divided teams into several pathways. In Iraq’s pathway, they are positioned favorably due to their FIFA ranking. Currently ranked 58th internationally, Iraq, alongside the Democratic Republic of Congo (ranked 56th), receives a direct entry into the final round.
This means they avoid the semi-final stage which will feature the lower-ranked teams: Jamaica (70th), Bolivia (76th), Suriname (123rd) and New Caledonia (149th). The other global playoff path pits the Democratic Republic of Congo against the winner of Jamaica and New Caledonia. FIFA’s general seeding rules played a role in segregating the CONCACAF teams (Suriname and Jamaica) into separate pathways, ensuring a degree of fairness in the distribution of competitive matches.
المنافسون المحتملون للعراق – Iraq’s Potential Opponents
The road to the World Cup won’t be easy. While Iraq avoids the semi-final, the winner of Bolivia vs. Suriname will be a test of their mettle. Bolivia, with previous World Cup experience, presents a familiar challenge, while Suriname offers a different dynamic, being a relatively newer force in international football.
The Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq’s potential final opponent, is also a formidable team, having defeated Nigeria, a six-time World Cup participant, in the African playoff final via penalty shootout. They are eager to return to the World Cup after their sole appearance as “Zaire” in 1974. A victory in the playoffs would mark a historic second appearance for العراق (Iraq) in a World Cup, after their debut in Mexico 1986.
الملحق الأوروبي: أمل إيطاليا في التعويض – European Playoff: Italy’s Hope for Redemption
Alongside the global playoffs, the European playoff path is generating significant attention, particularly with the involvement of four-time World Cup champions, Italy. Italy, having surprisingly missed out on automatic qualification, finds themselves in a challenging tie against Northern Ireland in the semi-finals. The winner of that match will then face the victor of the Wales versus Bosnia and Herzegovina matchup, hoping to secure one of the final four European spots.
Italy’s recent playoff record is concerning, having failed to qualify through this route in both the 2018 and 2022 campaigns, losing to Sweden and North Macedonia respectively. They will be desperate to overcome this hurdle and join the expanded field for 2026. They finished second in Group C, six points behind Norway, forcing them into the playoff situation.
مواجهات أخرى في الملحق الأوروبي – Other European Playoff Matches
Further adding to the drama within the European playoffs are the following semi-final matchups:
- Ukraine vs Sweden
- Poland vs Albania
- Turkey vs Romania
- Slovakia vs Kosovo
- Denmark vs North Macedonia
- Czechia vs Republic of Ireland.
These games, along with the semi-finals and final of the other European playoff paths, are scheduled for March 26th and 31st. The stakes are incredibly high as nations fight for their chance to represent Europe at the كأس العالم (World Cup).
نظرة على المستقبل – Looking Ahead
The coming weeks promise intense competition as teams battle for a place in the 2026 World Cup. For العراق (Iraq), the path is clear: win their final playoff match and reignite the nation’s footballing passion on the world stage. The expanded tournament format offers renewed hope and possibility, and the Lions of Mesopotamia are determined to seize the opportunity. The success of Iraq, and other hopeful nations, will serve as a testament to the growing global appeal of football and the dreams that the World Cup embodies. This competition will undoubtedly be one to watch for football fans worldwide as the تصفيات كأس العالم (World Cup Qualifiers) reach their thrilling conclusion.