The Iraq national team is heading to Monterrey to seek a spot in the 2026 World Cup, where they will face the winner of the match between Bolivia and Suriname. The winner of that encounter will face Iraq in a grand final, a single match on Tuesday, March 31st, at 9:00 PM. During their stay in the Sultan of the North, Iraq will use the facilities of the San Pedro Irish College as a training base. Mexico will host four crucial playoff matches, distributed between the cities of Guadalajara and Monterrey. The Asian combination has chosen the city of Monterrey, Nuevo León, as its headquarters to face this definitive challenge. The arrival of the Iraqi team to Mexican soil has not been easy. The first contingent, made up of players from the local league, is already on its way; it is expected that the coaching staff will arrive in Mexico on Monday morning, while the players who are in European clubs will join in the next two days, once they conclude their commitments on the old continent. However, after successfully completing the visa procedures, the team managed to organize a private plane transfer that departed from Amman, Jordan. To optimize their preparation, the selection will arrive in three separate groups. The Iraq national team embarked on its journey to Mexico to participate in the intercontinental playoff, which represents its last opportunity to qualify for the planet's top football tournament. The race to secure a place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 enters its most critical and exciting phase. Simultaneously, in Guadalajara, the teams of New Caledonia, Jamaica, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo will fight for another World Cup spot under a similar format. The winner of this clash will obtain a direct ticket to the final stage of the 2026 World Cup. Due to the conflict currently taking place in the Middle East, the delegation faced serious logistical problems to coordinate their transfer.
