Iraq head coach Graham Arnold is urging FIFA to postpone the nation’s crucial World Cup play-off decider against either Bolivia or Suriname, citing travel impossibilities caused by the escalating US-Israeli conflict with Iran.
The match is currently scheduled for March 31 in Monterrey, Mexico.
However, Iraqi airspace has been closed since late February following regional strikes and missile exchanges, leaving players and staff stranded.
Arnold warns that a team composed only of foreign-based players would be depleted. “We need our best team for the country’s biggest game in 40 years,” he told BBC Sport.
Arnold suggests allowing Bolivia and Suriname to play this month, while moving Iraq’s final play-off to the U.S. in June, just one week before the tournament begins.
Iraq is seeking its first World Cup qualification since 1986. The 2026 tournament, hosted by the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, is set to kick off on June 11.
Iraqi FA President Adnan Dirjal is reportedly working “round the clock” with FIFA to reach a decision as the three-month countdown to the World Cup begins.
