The Iraq National Football Team returns to the FIFA World Cup after a 40-year absence, qualifying for the 2026 tournament with a 2-1 win over Bolivia in Mexico. This victory fulfills the dream of the Iraqi people in the team's return to the World Cup. The Iraqi team had a long and difficult journey in the qualifiers, before securing their qualification through the intercontinental playoffs in Monterrey. The Iraqi team will play their first match in the World Cup against Norway in Boston/Foxborough. The win over Bolivia came after a four-decade wait, since Iraq's appearance in the 1986 World Cup finals. The Iraqi team has undergone deep political and security transformations, from wars and sieges to the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime after the US-British invasion, and then years of economic, political, and security turmoil. Football has been a rare space for collective joy in Iraq, with the most notable moments of sports recovery being Iraq's win in the 2007 Asian Cup.