Adnan Dargheesh, President of the Iraqi Football Association, confirmed that the contract with Australian head coach Graham Arnold has been automatically renewed. This was done after the team's successful qualification for the World Cup 2026 playoffs. Dargheesh said in a television statement: "The contract between the Iraqi Football Federation on the one hand, and Australian coach Graham Arnold on the other, is conditional on the qualification of the 'Lions of the Tigris' for the next World Cup." He added: "Under the mentioned agreement, Arnold continues his work and will lead the Iraqi national football team in the finals of the Arab Cup, which will be held in Qatar at the beginning of next month."
