Baghdad, November 18 (QNA) - Iraq advanced to the FIFA World Cup 2026 Play-Off Tournament following its win against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with a score of 2-1 in a match held in Basra International Stadium.
Mohanad Ali and Amir Al Ammari scored the two goals for the Iraqi team, while Caio Lucas scored the one goal for the UAE team.
Last Thursday, Iraq tied with the UAE in a match held in Abu Dhabi as part of the fifth round of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) qualifiers.
With this win, Iraq now joins DR Congo, Bolivia and New Caledonia, in addition to two teams from the North, Central American and Caribbean (CONCACAF) that will be determined on Wednesday, in the play-off tournament set to take place in Mexico in March 2026.
The play-off tournament will qualify two teams out of the six to the FIFA World Cup 2026 co-hosted by Mexico, Canada and the USA between June 11 to July 19, 2026.
Iraq's only appearance in the FIFA World Cup was back in 1986 in Mexico, while the UAE only competed in 1990 in Italy. (QNA)