🎥 Sarajevo to Baghdad via Kinshasa: World Cup party | OneFootball

The joy of qualifying for a World Cup knows no borders, distances, or sociopolitical contexts. Just ask the fans who were on edge yesterday during the final World Cup playoffs.

Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sweden, Turkey, the Czech Republic, the D.R. Congo, and Iraq sealed their tickets to the World Cup on Tuesday. And in many places, the celebrations began the moment the final whistle blew.

From the Balkans to the heart of Africa and the Persian Gulf, a wave of happiness swept across the planet. And for good reason.

Sarajevo erupts with joy

Only twelve years have passed since their last appearance at a World Cup, but what happened yesterday in Zenica is something they will never forget. The night of March 31, 2026, will be etched forever in the memory of Bosnia and Herzegovina. A country that achieved one of football’s greatest feats this season: knocking four-time world champions Italy out of the World Cup for the third consecutive time.

And because of that, the whole country erupted with joy. Sarajevo took to the streets to celebrate a historic milestone. Bosnia is back in the World Cup twelve years later. And they have done it fully on merit and with sky-high morale.

In Kinshasa, the rain does not stop the celebrations

It has been a very long night in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The African nation has confirmed its return to the World Cup more than 50 years later. The last time they competed was under the name Zaire, at the 1974 World Cup, which was marked by pressure from the regime on the players, including threats.

This time the story will be different. Kinshasa erupted with joy during the night after the Leopards qualified for the World Cup. A happiness that has spread across the entire country.

National celebration in Iraq after booking its World Cup place

If they had to wait 50 years in the D.R. Congo, Iraq had to wait 40 for the Lions of Mesopotamia to return to a World Cup. That generation that made history by qualifying for Mexico 1986 will now be joined in the pantheon of Iraqi football by this group of players. A lot has happened in those 40 years: wars, regime changes... but the passion for football has always remained in this Persian Gulf nation.

The achievement is so historic that the country’s prime minister has declared this Wednesday a national holiday to celebrate World Cup qualification. 

A night to remember.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.

📸 GLODY MURHABAZI - AFP or licensors