Iraq beats Bolivia 2-1 to clinch final World Cup spot

Iraq secured the 48th and last spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, beating Bolivia 2-1 in the intercontinental playoff at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey on Tuesday.thenationalnews
Ali Al Hamadi headed in the opener in the 10th minute; Aymen Hussein scored the second-half winner after Bolivia had equalized before the break.straitstimes
Iraq will join France, Norway, and Senegal in Group I at the tournament across Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. this summer.worldsoccertalk

Iraq Beats Bolivia 2-1 to Qualify for 2026 FIFA World Cup

Iraq secured the 48th and final spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday night, defeating Bolivia 2-1 in the intercontinental playoff final at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey, Mexico, ending a 40-year absence from football’s grandest stage.thenationalnews

Goals From Al Hamadi and Hussein Seal Historic Return

Iraq came out aggressively from the opening whistle. Amir Al Ammari’s curling free kick struck the crossbar via a fingertip save from Bolivia goalkeeper Guillermo Viscarra, and from the resulting corner, Ali Al Hamadi — who plays for Luton Town in England’s League One — headed home to give Iraq a 10th-minute lead.straitstimes

Bolivia regrouped before halftime. Ramiro Vaca’s forward pass found Moises Paniagua, who turned and slammed the ball home from close range to level the score at 1-1. Iraq coach Graham Arnold responded with a double substitution early in the second half, and in the 53rd minute, substitute Marko Farji’s cross found Aymen Hussein, who got ahead of his marker to steer home the winner.thenationalnews

Bolivia forced several late corners in a desperate push for extra time, but Iraq’s defense held firm through the final minutes.straitstimes

A 40-Year Wait Ends

Iraq’s only previous World Cup appearance came at Mexico 1986, where they lost all three group games against West Germany, Belgium, and Paraguay. After a grueling 28-month qualifying campaign spanning 21 matches — including a two-legged victory over the United Arab Emirates in the AFC fifth round — 46 million Iraqis can now celebrate a return to the world’s biggest football tournament.worldsoccertalk

Iraq will slot into Group I at the June 11–July 19 World Cup alongside France, Norway, and Senegal.straitstimes

A Day of Upsets

The result capped a dramatic final day of World Cup qualifying worldwide. Hours earlier in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina stunned four-time champions Italy on penalties after a 1-1 draw, with Esmir Bajraktarević converting the decisive spot kick to condemn Italy to a third consecutive World Cup absence. As Reuters reported from Monterrey, Iraq “grabbed the last available place” to complete the 48-team field for the first World Cup hosted across three nations.yahoo