- Title: Iraq coach calls for delay to World Cup playoff amid travel shutdown
- Date: 9th March 2026
- Summary: DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (MARCH 9, 2026) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) IRAQ NATIONAL TEAM COACH GRAHAM ARNOLD, SAYING: "One thing I've learned in life is... to be successful and to have success you've got to do a lot of preparation and a lot of planning. It's not off the cuff where you just turn up and you hope it will happen. You've got to believe that it will happen
- Embargoed:
- Keywords: Arnold FIFA Iraq Mexico intercontinental playoff travel war
- Location: DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES / UNKNOWN
- City: DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES / UNKNOWN
- Country: Iraq
- Topics: Middle East,Sport,World Cup
- Reuters ID: LVA002228109032026RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: QUALITY AS INCOMING
Iraq coach Graham Arnold has called for the team's inter-confederation World Cup playoff in Mexico later this month to be postponed amidst the travel chaos triggered by the conflict in neighbouring Iran.
The Iraqis are concerned they might not be able to get their players and staff over to Mexico for their scheduled clash with either Bolivia or Suriname in Monterrey on March 31 because of the travel lockdown in the Middle East.
Arnold said putting together a team solely with players based outside Iraq would hinder the country's chances of qualifying for the World Cup for the first time since 1986.
"My biggest concern now is obviously how do the players get out of Iraq? Because it's quite chaotic there at the moment, obviously with the Iranian bombs or missiles or drones or whatever that have been shot at Erbil and those type of places, and obviously the U.S. Embassy in the last couple of days in Baghdad. Obviously getting the boys out of Iraq and the staff is going to be extremely difficult," Arnold told Reuters in an interview.
Iraqi airspace has been closed since the United States and Israel launched air attacks on Iran on February 28 and the Islamic Republic responded by firing missiles and drones at Israel, Gulf states and other nearby countries.
Bolivia and Suriname are scheduled to meet in the inter-confederation playoff semi-final in Monterrey on March 26 to decide which team meets Iraq in the final five days later.
"The game could be played a week before the World Cup. Obviously, Bolivia plays Suriname in this March FIFA window. It gives us time then to prepare, and it also gives FIFA the time to see what the Iranian president came out and said—that there wasn't much hope for them of going to the World Cup. With Iraq, with the AFC (Asian Football Confederation) as the highest-ranked team ready to go, that we would replace them, Iran," Arnold said.
"But also it would give, if that happened that Iran pulled out, the UAE time, who's next in line after we beat them in the playoff, that they could get themselves ready and play the winner of Suriname and Bolivia," Arnold added.
The finals take place in the United States, Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19.
There was no immediate response to a request for comment on Arnold's suggestion from FIFA, global soccer's governing body.
New Caledonia, Jamaica and the Democratic Republic of Congo will travel to Guadalajara later this month to compete in the other three-way playoff for a ticket to the World Cup finals.
(Production: Iain Axon, Mussab Al-Khairalla) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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