Iraq national football team head coach Graham Arnold has called on FIFA to postpone Iraq’s intercontinental playoff scheduled for March 31 in Mexico, citing severe travel and security challenges caused by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
The fixture, which could see Iraq face either Bolivia national football team or Suriname national football team, will determine who secures a coveted place at the FIFA World Cup.
However, preparations have been thrown into disarray as the escalating regional crisis continues to disrupt normal travel and logistical arrangements.
Iraq’s airspace has been closed amid ongoing drone and missile strikes across the region, making it nearly impossible for players and staff to leave the country. According to the Iraq Football Association, even Arnold himself has been unable to travel.
The federation stated that the coach is currently stuck in the United Arab Emirates due to similar restrictions affecting regional airspace.
The situation is unlikely to improve before the scheduled match date. Iraqi airspace is not expected to reopen until April 1one day after the playoff is set to take place.
Compounding the crisis, several members of the Iraqi squad have struggled to obtain visas due to embassy closures caused by the escalating conflict.
“Several embassies remain closed at the present time, preventing several professional players, technical and medical staff members from obtaining entry visas to Mexico,” the federation explained.
The visa issue has become even more complicated because Mexico does not maintain an embassy in Iraq. Officials from Mexico have indicated that their embassy in the United Arab Emirates is working with Iraqi authorities, while also suggesting that visa processing could potentially be handled in European countries.
Despite those efforts, time is rapidly running out.
Arnold has now appealed directly to FIFA, urging the governing body to intervene and help resolve the situation.
“Please help us with this game because right now we are struggling to get our players out of the country of Iraq,” Arnold said in an interview with AAP.
The Australian coach believes the most practical solution would be to postpone the match until June and relocate it to the United States, allowing Iraq adequate time to organize travel and prepare properly.
“In my opinion, if FIFA were to delay the game, it gives us time to prepare properly,” Arnold said. “Let Bolivia play Suriname this month and then a week before the World Cup we play the winner in the U.S. ; the winner stays on and the loser goes home.”
Arnold also suggested that a delay would give FIFA more time to address any potential complications involving Iran national football team should geopolitical tensions lead to their withdrawal from the tournament.
For Iraq, the stakes could not be higher.
Arnold described the playoff as “the country’s biggest game in 40 years,” highlighting its historic importance for Iraqi football.
Victory would send Iraq back to the World Cup for the first time since 1986 FIFA World Cup a moment that would mark a major milestone for the nation’s sporting history.
For now, however, the focus is not on tactics or opponents but on logistics and safety, as Iraqi football waits anxiously for FIFA’s response to a plea born out of extraordinary circumstances.
