The Iraqi national team held its first training session on Monday in the Mexican city of Monterrey in preparation for a match against the winner of the Bolivia vs. Suriname playoff for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, as announced by the local football federation's website. The squad of the 'Lions of the Mesopotamia' is gradually being completed with the addition of three professional players from European clubs out of the 15 players called up by Australian coach Graham Arnold. The professional players, Amir Al-Ammary, Mirhous Dosky, and Hussein Ali, have joined the squad after fulfilling their commitments with their clubs, awaiting the arrival of other professionals summoned by Arnold. In addition to the trio mentioned, Iraq's 15-player foreign-based squad includes: Zid Taha, Rebin Solaka, Ibrahim Baish, Ali Al-Hamadi, Marco Faraj, Zidan Iqbal, Emad Shareer, Mahand Ali, Yousuf Amin, Ali Jasim, Kevin Youkob, and Frans Petros. Iraq will face the winner of the Bolivia vs. Suriname match on the 31st of this month. Arnold has called up 28 players to the 'Lions of the Mesopotamia' squad for the crucial match, where Iraq aims to secure its spot in the World Cup finals for the second time in history, after a lone appearance at the 1986 Mexico World Cup. The Iraqi delegation arrived in Monterrey on Sunday, coming from the Jordanian capital, Amman. The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) provided a special plane for their transfer due to the Middle East war between the United States and Israel on one side and Iran on the other, which began on February 28 of last year, leading to the closure of airspace for most airports in the region.
