Iraq National Football Team Qualifies for World Cup After Beating Bolivia

Iraq Returns to World Cup After 40-Year Absence Iraq Beats Bolivia 2-1 in Qualifying Playoff

What Happened?

The Iraq national football team qualified for the World Cup after a 40-year absence with a 2-1 win over Bolivia in the playoff.

Why Does This Matter for Iraq?

This is Iraq's second World Cup appearance, after the 1986 tournament in Mexico when they were eliminated in the group stage.

What's Next?

Iraq will play against Senegal in their next match on June 26, 2026.

The first goal for Iraq was scored by Ali Hamadi, after a corner kick in the 10th minute of the game.

How Did Iraq Win?

The qualifying goal for Iraq was scored by Ayman Hussein, who has eight goals in the qualifiers, in the second half of the game, after he intercepted a pass from Marco Faraj, and shot from close range into the goal in the 53rd minute.