Iraq’s head coach Graham Arnold has called for the country’s decisive World Cup play-off match later this month to be postponed because of travel disruptions caused by the escalating US-Israeli conflict with Iran.
Late February, Arnold declared Iraq ready to “shock the world” as the Lions of Mesopotamia stand one win away from a return to the global stage — four decades after their last appearance.
“We’re going to play without fear, shock the world and enjoy it,” he said in an interview obtained on the FIFA website .
Iraq are scheduled to face either Bolivia or Suriname in Monterrey, Mexico, on 31 March.
The winner of the inter-continental play-off will secure a place at the 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada starting on 11 June.