Iraqi journalist Sajad Younis, who is in Mexico to cover the upcoming Iraq-Bolivia match, took a tour of Monterrey's historic center. He noted that the old houses and the youthful spirit of the city reminded him of Iraq's old character. Younis also said that the mountains reminded him of the Iraqi desert. His comparison of Monterrey's and Iraq's architecture sparked controversy on social media. Many insisted that Monterrey is more similar to the United States than to Iraq, with some comments even being offensive, stating that a comparison between a city like Monterrey and an Asian country is not possible. Others, however, celebrated the city's global projection thanks to football. It is worth noting that the journalist's coverage only addressed the architectural and visual landscape of the city. The Iraqi national football team arrived in Monterrey a week ago to prepare for a playoff match. At that time, it was still unknown whether their rival would be Bolivia or Iraq. On Wednesday, Bolivia defeated Suriname and will face Iraq on March 31 at the Monterrey Stadium.
