Iraq to travel to Mexico for intercontinental play-off, federation says | OneFootball

Iraq will travel to Mexico to contest the intercontinental play-off final, the federation announced. The decision follows weeks of uncertainty amid the war in the Middle East.

Iraq beat the United Arab Emirates to book their place in the intercontinental play-offs. They had sought a postponement of the Monterrey final because of airspace closures and wider regional disruption.

They will face the winner of Bolivia versus Suriname, staged five days earlier, in Monterrey. The play-off winners will join France, Senegal and Norway at the World Cup, which runs from 11 June to 19 July, and will meet France on 22 June in Philadelphia.

Federation president Dirjal contacted FIFA president Gianni Infantino to explain the travel difficulties, and FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafström was asked to help remove obstacles so the squad could depart for Mexico.

The team will go by road from Baghdad to Amman late next week, a journey of about 900 kilometres by coach, before a private flight to Mexico. Coordination with clubs is under way to assemble players before the 23-31 March FIFA window. Iraq have not appeared at a World Cup since 1986.

Source: L'Équipe