Iraq defeat Bolivia 2-1 to qualify for FIFA World Cup 2026

Iraq defeat Bolivia 2-1 to qualify for FIFA World Cup 2026Goals from Ali Al-Hamadi and Aymen Hussein send Iraq to their first FIFA World Cup since 1986.Iraq have ended a 30-year wait for an appearance at the FIFA World Cup with a 2-1 victory over Bolivia in the second final of the intercontinental playoffs in Mexico, making them the 48th team to qualify for the tournament.Goals from Ali Al-Hamadi and Aymen Hussein helped the Lions of Mesopotamia edge past the South American nation at the Monterrey Stadium in Guadalupe on Tuesday.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4World Cup risks being ‘stage for repression’ for millions of fans: Amnestylist 2 of 4Turkiye and Sweden book World Cup 2026 spots as Kosovo and Poland bow outlist 3 of 4Italy out as Bosnia and Herzegovina reach World Cup 2026 on penaltieslist 4 of 4Israeli footballer’s role in assault on southern Lebanon sparks outrageend of listAl-Hamadi’s opener in the 10th minute gave Iraq the perfect start but Moises Paniagua drew the Greens level 28 minutes later in a closely-contested match in one of the cohost nations of the World Cup.The deadlock was broken shortly after the half-time break when Aymen Hussein scored the match winning goal from close range as he slotted in Marko Farji’s cross in the 53rd minute.Iraq’s appearance at the qualifying tournament was in doubt as the players were affected by the travel chaos resulting from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.Weeks before their appearance in the playoff final, Iraq’s coach Graham Arnold pleaded with the organisers to delay their match in order to allow the squad to assemble and train for the all-important fixture.The players and coaching staff arrived in Mexico just a week prior to the match on a charter flight and began preparations in the host city.“I must congratulate the players who played with real Iraqi mentality, fighting and putting their bodies on the line and that’s why we won ⁠the game,” a delighted Arnold after Iraq’s win.“I am so happy that we’ve made 46 ‌million people happy and especially with what’s going on in the Middle East at the moment,” added Arnold.