Middle East war complicates Iraq's 2026 World Cup play-off bid | OneFootball

The Middle East conflict has plunged Iraq's 2026 World Cup push into doubt, putting their intercontinental play-off participation later this month at risk.

In a statement, the Iraqi Football Federation said airspace closures have stranded head coach Graham Arnold in the United Arab Emirates, with embassy shutdowns also stalling Mexican visas for players, coaches and medical staff, adding that it is in constant contact with FIFA and that the Asian Football Confederation is being kept informed.

Iraq are scheduled to play on 31 March in Monterrey against Bolivia or Surinam for a place at a tournament to be hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Political uncertainty has also raised a separate possibility, that if Iran were unable to compete because of attacks by the United States and Israel, a vacancy would emerge.

In that case, Iraq or the United Arab Emirates could be considered as replacements based on Asian rankings among the non-qualifiers, although FIFA regulations under president Gianni Infantino set no precise criteria and leave room for interpretation.

Source: SuperDepor.com