Iraq remains in political deadlock after elections, with Mohammed Shia’ al?Sudani and Nouri al?Maliki as key contenders amid divided parliamentary blocs.

Iraq beat Bolivia in an intercontinental playoff to claim the final spot in the record-breaking 48-team field for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Iraq will end their 40-year wait to appear at a World Cup this summer Julio Cesar Aguilar/AFP via It was in the hour that followed the full-time whistle inside Monterrey’s Estadio BBVA that the significance of the moment struck Ali Al-Hamadi.

MONTERREY, Mexico -- Iraq became the 48th and final team to secure a spot at the 2026 World Cup with a 2-1 win over Bolivia in an intercontinental playoff Tuesday, overcoming last-minute logistical problems and ending a wait of four decades.

IRAQ are being led to the World Cup by former Australia boss Graham Arnold who once helped the Socceroos humble England in 2003. The No57 ranked team qualified for only their second ever World Cup

The video shows a man ripping down the banner of Iraqi World Cup fans and shouting "you're in America."