World Cup
Iraq
Competition: Coupe du Monde | Active season: 2026
Iraq
vs
Andorra
1 - 0
Spain
vs
Iraq
1 - 1
Iraq
vs
Venezuela
0 - 2
Iraq
vs
Norway
1 - 4
France
vs
Iraq
3 - 0
Senegal
vs
Iraq
5 - 0
Footlab Data
Group I
Group I
Group standings
Footlab Data
Statistiques détaillées
Footlab Data
Footlab profile
Offensive potential
47,3/100
Stable
Defensive stability
50,6/100
Stable
Game control
44,8/100
Stable
Regularity
47,9/100
Stable
Mental resilience
30,4/100
Building
Footlab Data
Iraq National Football Team - 2026 World Cup Profile & Analysis
Iraq World Cup 2026: Data Analysis, Strengths, and Projection
Iraq makes a historic return to the global stage, forty years after their one and only appearance in Mexico (1986). Qualified directly through the AFC 3rd round, the Lions of Mesopotamia showcase a "Physical Resilience and Verticality" profile. This is a team that compensates for its gaps in pure possession with superior combat intensity and a defensive organization capable of frustrating the most creative nations.
Global Positioning
Iraq is positioned as the most unpredictable outsider of the AFC zone. They are the tournament's "commando" team: relying on a compact team block and a steel mindset to turn every match into a battle of physical attrition.
- Status: Combat Outsider / Historic Returnee
- Projection: Group Stage (Objective: Historic first point)
- Risk: Difficulty building play against organized low blocks
Footlab Profile
| Criteria | Level |
|---|---|
| Attacking Potential | Medium (Transitions) |
| Defensive Stability | High (Discipline) |
| Game Control | Low (Pragmatism) |
| Consistency | Improving |
| Physical Impact | Very High |
Structural Strengths
- Collective Defensive Solidity: A remarkable organization that proved its worth during qualifiers, conceding very few goals through rigorous discipline.
- Set-Piece Efficiency: Aerial play is a major weapon, both offensively and defensively, supported by imposing physical profiles.
- Fighting Spirit: Exceptional mental resilience that keeps the team in the match even under prolonged opposition dominance.
- Rapid Transitions: Ability to explode forward immediately upon winning the ball to punish opposition positioning errors.
Structural Weaknesses
- Ball Retention: Chronic difficulties in maintaining sterile possession under pressure from technical European or South American sides.
- Offensive Creativity: Lack of creative solutions in positional play when the opponent refuses to commit and closes down space.
- Highest Level Inexperience: A massive qualitative jump between Asian qualifying and the intensity of a World Cup after 40 years away.
- Squad Depth: A marked dependency on key players, making the balance fragile in case of injuries or suspensions.
Tactical Brief
Iraq typically operates within a highly structured 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2:
- Offensive Phase: Direct play, wing utilization, and systematic search for efficiency on set-pieces.
- Defensive Phase: Compact mid-to-low block, selective pressing, and maximum reduction of axial gaps.
- Identity: "Pragmatic" football prioritizing the destruction of the opponent's game before creation.
Match Typology
- Vs Weaker Teams: A battle of patience where Iraq seeks a breakthrough via physical dominance.
- Vs Similar Teams: Intense duels with few clear chances (Under goals profile).
- Vs Top Tier Teams: Formidable "Brick Wall" profile; capable of holding a heroic 0-0 and stinging on a lethal counter.
2026 Key Performance Factors
Iraq's success will primarily depend on:
- their ability to maintain a goals-conceded ratio below one per match
- the clinical edge of their strikers on rare transition opportunities
- managing the emotions of a historic return awaited by an entire nation
Footlab Projection
Iraq possesses a Round of 16 ceiling. Their solidity and commitment make them the most disliked opponent for top seeds in the group stage, as they leave no room for spectacle.
Projection: Group Stage (Challenger for qualification)
Optimal Scenario: A historic first round by securing a surprise victory through maximum clinical efficiency.
Betting Insights
- ✔️ High potential in "Under 2.5 Goals" markets
- ✔️ Interesting for "Aerial Duels Won" markets
- ⚠️ Risk in straight win odds (matches often result in draws)
- ✔️ Value in "Header Goals" (strength on set-pieces)
Conclusion
Iraq is a team of duty. Between tactical discipline and physical courage, the Lions of Mesopotamia are armed to turn their global return into a true test of strength for their opponents in 2026.
Unlock the Footlab analysis for Iraq
The World Cup Pass opens match analysis, the comparator, the Expert Match Center and the dedicated dashboard to follow Iraq throughout the World Cup.
- Analytical tournament tracking with a simulated starting capital of EUR 100.
- Access to groups, results and bracket as soon as they are available.
- Comparator and dedicated modules reserved for pass holders.
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Comparator
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International history
Matches from the last 4 years
Egypt
vs
Iran
1 - 1
Senegal
vs
Iraq
5 - 0
France
vs
Iraq
3 - 0
Belgium
vs
Iran
0 - 0
Iraq
vs
Norway
1 - 4
Iran
vs
New Zealand
2 - 2
Iraq
vs
Venezuela
0 - 2
Spain
vs
Iraq
1 - 1
Iran
vs
Mali
2 - 0
Iraq
vs
Andorra
1 - 0
Iran
vs
Gambia
3 - 1
Iraq
vs
Bolivia
2 - 1
Costa Rica
vs
Iran
0 - 5
Iran
vs
Nigeria
1 - 2
Iraq
vs
United Arab Emirates
2 - 1
Uzbekistan
vs
Iran
0 - 0
United Arab Emirates
vs
Iraq
1 - 1
Iran
vs
Cape Verde Islands
0 - 0
Saudi Arabia
vs
Iraq
0 - 0
Iran
vs
Tanzania
2 - 0
Iraq
vs
Indonesia
1 - 0
Russia
vs
Iran
2 - 1
Iran
vs
Uzbekistan
0 - 1
Tajikistan
vs
Iran
2 - 2
India
vs
Iran
0 - 3
Iran
vs
Afghanistan
3 - 1
Jordan
vs
Iraq
0 - 1
Iran
vs
North Korea
3 - 0
Qatar
vs
Iran
1 - 0
Iraq
vs
South Korea
0 - 2
Palestine
vs
Iraq
2 - 1
Iran
vs
Uzbekistan
2 - 2
Iraq
vs
Kuwait
2 - 2
Iran
vs
United Arab Emirates
2 - 0
Oman
vs
Iraq
0 - 1
Kyrgyzstan
vs
Iran
2 - 3
Iraq
vs
Jordan
0 - 0
North Korea
vs
Iran
2 - 3
Iran
vs
Qatar
4 - 1
South Korea
vs
Iraq
3 - 2
Iraq
vs
Palestine
1 - 0
Uzbekistan
vs
Iran
0 - 0
Kuwait
vs
Iraq
0 - 0
United Arab Emirates
vs
Iran
0 - 1
Iraq
vs
Oman
1 - 0
Iran
vs
Kyrgyzstan
1 - 0
Iraq
vs
Vietnam
3 - 1
Iran
vs
Uzbekistan
0 - 0
Hong Kong
vs
Iran
2 - 4
Indonesia
vs
Iraq
0 - 2
Turkmenistan
vs
Iran
0 - 1
Philippines
vs
Iraq
0 - 5
Iraq
vs
Philippines
1 - 0
Iran
vs
Turkmenistan
5 - 0
Iran
vs
Qatar
2 - 3
Iran
vs
Japan
2 - 1
Iran
vs
Syria
1 - 1
Iraq
vs
Jordan
2 - 3
Iraq
vs
Vietnam
3 - 2
Iran
vs
United Arab Emirates
2 - 1
Hong Kong
vs
Iran
0 - 1
Iraq
vs
Japan
2 - 1
Indonesia
vs
Iraq
1 - 3
Iran
vs
Palestine
4 - 1
Indonesia
vs
Iran
0 - 5
Iraq
vs
South Korea
0 - 1
Iran
vs
Burkina Faso
2 - 1
Uzbekistan
vs
Iran
2 - 2
Vietnam
vs
Iraq
0 - 1
Iraq
vs
Indonesia
5 - 1
Iran
vs
Hong Kong
4 - 0
Qatar
vs
Iran
0 - 4
Iraq
vs
Jordan
2 - 2
Jordan
vs
Iran
1 - 3
Qatar
vs
Iraq
0 - 0
Iran
vs
Angola
4 - 0
Bulgaria
vs
Iran
0 - 1
Uzbekistan
vs
Iran
0 - 1
Colombia
vs
Iraq
1 - 0
Kyrgyzstan
vs
Iran
1 - 5
Iran
vs
Afghanistan
6 - 1
Iran
vs
Kenya
2 - 1
Russia
vs
Iraq
2 - 0
Iran
vs
Russia
1 - 1
Iraq
vs
Kuwait
1 - 0
Iran
vs
United States
0 - 1
Wales
vs
Iran
0 - 2
England
vs
Iran
6 - 2
Ecuador
vs
Iraq
0 - 0
Iran
vs
Nicaragua
1 - 0
Mexico
vs
Iraq
4 - 0
Senegal
vs
Iran
1 - 1
Syria
vs
Iraq
0 - 1
Iran
vs
Uruguay
1 - 0
Iraq
vs
Oman
1 - 1