The Iraq national team loses to Venezuela 0-2 in their final warm-up match for the World Cup 2026. During the match, Iraq showed a poor performance in defense, which led to their loss.

What happened during the match?

Christian Kassieris scored the first goal for Venezuela in the 17th minute, after a corner kick and a mistake in clearing the ball by goalkeeper Jalal Hassan. Iraq tried to respond, with Kevin Jacob playing to striker Ayman Hussein, who shot a weak ground ball that was saved by goalkeeper Jose Contreras.

Why is this important for Iraq?

Iraq will play in Group 9 alongside France, Senegal, and Norway in the World Cup 2026. During the match, hundreds of Iraqi fans raised dozens of Iraqi flags, showing strong support for the team.

What comes next?

Iraq's last result was a 0-3 loss to France on June 22, 2026. Recent form for Iraq: | Date | Result | | --- | --- | | 2026-06-22 | France 3-0 Iraq | | 2026-06-18 | Spain 0-0 Iraq | | 2026-06-15 | Iraq 0-2 Venezuela | | 2026-06-12 | Iraq 1-3 Senegal | | 2026-06-09 | Iraq 0-1 Norway |