“Game of Life and Death” — Arnold on Iraq’s Grueling Path to 2026 World Cup

Arnold’s side can realistically achieve

Graham Arnold led Australia to the 2022 World Cup last 16, but says coaching Iraq carries more pressure. Iraq face Norway, France, and Senegal when the 2026 World Cup starts.

Graham Arnold’s Iraq return to the World Cup after 40 years. Full 2026 fixtures: Iraq vs Norway June 16 in Boston, then France and Senegal in Group C...

Veteran Australian coach Graham Arnold believes Iraq can cause a shock at the World Cup after an exhausting road to North America.

“It’s been an intense year in charge and very stressful for the players,” Arnold said from Baghdad. He spoke shortly before leaving for Spain for a pre-tournament training camp.

“Every game basically since I've been here has been a game of life and death.”

That may sound extreme, but Iraq’s fight for qualification went down to the wire. Their chances of reaching the finals were also put at risk by the war in nearby Iran.

Arnold, 62, took over in May last year after Spaniard Jesus Casas. At that time, the Lions of Mesopotamia were still in the race for direct qualification in Asian Group B, sitting behind South Korea and Jordan.

Arnold’s first game in charge ended in defeat. 10-man Iraq lost to South Korea. They later had to beat the United Arab Emirates in a two-legged playoff to advance. Amir Al-Ammari scored the winner from the penalty spot in the 17th minute of injury time. That result sent Iraq to an intercontinental playoff in Mexico in March.

But the playoff plans hit more chaos. US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran at the time left many Iraqi players and staff stuck. They had to scramble to make the long trip to Mexico.

"How did a veteran Australian coach end up as the coach of Iraq?"

Graham Arnold explains his journey from Down Under to becoming the Iraq national team head coach 🇮🇶 pic.twitter.com/5QHsl2UHdr

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) May 28, 2026

“The airspace was shut down in Iraq. I couldn't get back into Iraq to get my coaching equipment. The players couldn't get out of Iraq,” Arnold recalls, detailing the 26-hour bus trip they took from Baghdad to Amman in Jordan.

“And they got stuck in Jordan for 28 hours because of bombs going off around them and they shut down the airspace.

“When the boys actually got there, it took 68 hours. One of the first meetings and discussions I had with the players was, OK, with everything that's going on in the Middle East, are you going to use that as an excuse or motivation?”

Iraq beat Bolivia 2-1 in Monterrey. That win clinched their first World Cup spot since 1986. It came after a long 21-match qualifying campaign that felt like it would never end.

"The players went through a hell of a lot of stress and a lot of pressure on their shoulders from 46 million people in Iraq to qualify for a World Cup for the first time in 40 years,” said Arnold.

“Every one of those games was heartbreak or we survived.”

Arnold has been shuttling between Australia and Iraq since taking over. He says his squad has the talent, but shifting the team’s mindset has been the hardest part of the job.

“I've never seen a country so obsessed with football. They have public holidays when Barcelona play Real Madrid,” says the coach.

Arnold coached his native Australia at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. He guided the Socceroos to the round of 16, where they gave eventual champions Argentina a real scare.

"If I didn't do that and invest my time into it, we would never have qualified [for the World Cup]"

Iraq national team coach Graham Arnold explains why he immersed himself in Iraqi culture soon after taking the job 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/naf29bByH5

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) May 28, 2026

Even with all the praise he has got from Iraqi fans, Arnold says the pressure was much heavier when he was coaching Australia.

“I have the greatest respect for people like Didier Deschamps that has stayed and coached his nation for so long.

“The pressure of coaching your own nation is crazy because you don't want to let them down.

“I feel like I'm more of a football coach now with Iraq than with Australia.”

Iraq landed in a tough group for this World Cup. They open against Norway in Boston on June 16, then face France and Senegal. So what is a realistic target for them?

“We qualified last. If you went through every individual player and every team, and the transfer price of all the players, we would probably be the lowest-ranked at the World Cup,” says Arnold, whose contract expires on July 31.

“But it's a World Cup. Anything can happen. And our boys have a great fighting mentality. It's 11 versus 11.

“And if we win our one-versus-one battles, we can shock the world.”

Former Socceroos boss Graham Arnold has revealed what led to him taking the role of Iraq's National Team head coach.

Weeks out from their first World Cup in decades, Arnold says he's loving his time with the Lions of Mesopotamia. pic.twitter.com/ZuS5Y6njPS

— 10 Sport (@10SportAU) May 29, 2026