With less than a month remaining before the intercontinental playoff (PO) that will decide qualification for the 2026 North and Central American World Cup, the Iraq national football team has been hit head-on by war. Because U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran have closed airspace across the Middle East and suspended operations at embassies, the coach and players are scattered, making even basic training difficult.

Iraq will play a one-off intercontinental PO on the 1st of next month in Monterrey, Mexico, against the winner of Bolivia versus Suriname. A victory would put them on the World Cup finals stage for the first time in 40 years, and for only the second time ever, since the 1986 tournament in Mexico, one of the most important matches in Iraq football history.

However, for Iraq right now, travel is a bigger problem than the match itself. The Iraq Football Association (IFA) said in a statement on the 4th that “due to the airspace closure, head coach Graham Arnold is unable to leave the United Arab Emirates (UAE),” and that “because several embassies have been closed, many players and technical·medical staff have not been able to obtain visas to enter Mexico.” The Australian coach Arnold is stranded in the Gulf region and unable to join the team, and overseas-based players active across Europe and the Middle East are likewise facing delays in joining the squad as visa issuance is blocked.

The Iraqi Ministry of Transport informed the Iraq Football Association that airspace will be closed for at least four weeks. For roughly 40% of the squad, travel itself becomes impossible. A 25-hour overland route from the centrally located capital Baghdad, through the north and into Turkey has been suggested as an alternative, but safety concerns mean it is seen as unlikely.

Visas are another stumbling block. Mexico does not have an embassy in Baghdad, so Iraqi players must obtain visas through Mexican missions in Qatar or the UAE, but those missions have also closed due to the war. U.S. visas have likewise been blocked as U.S. missions in the Middle East have reduced or suspended operations. This is why a number of players failed to obtain U.S. visas ahead of a training camp in Houston.

Training plans have been completely derailed. Iraq had initially planned to start a camp in Houston on the 15th (local time), acclimatize to the climate and time zone, and then move to Monterrey in a two-stage preparation. But with the full squad unable to gather in one place, the plan has effectively collapsed. Some players continue individual training with their clubs, while others are holding temporary sessions inside Iraq, making it hard to synchronize the overall team rhythm.

FIFA has conveyed to Iraq that it intends to have the match played as scheduled. The Iraq Football Association is maintaining the principle that it is “preparing on the premise that the match will be held,” but within the camp there are skeptical views about whether it will actually take place.

Earlier, there was speculation that if Iran were to forgo participation in the World Cup due to the fallout from the U.S.-Israeli strikes, Iraq could be granted a direct ticket to the finals. Mehdi Taj, president of the Iranian football association, hinted at possible withdrawal, saying, “After this attack, it is difficult to expect the World Cup.” Even so, the most certain way for Iraq to secure a place remains to win the Monterrey PO.