A first World Cup memory of a Maicon goal inspired Iqbal, and now he hopes he can do something similar after Iraq's qualification

View the Iraq vs. Venezuela game played on June 09, 2026. Box score, stats, play-by-play timeline, highlights, odds & more

World Cup 2026 title hopeful Spain will host Iraq in a pre-tournament friendly on Thursday. MORE: 2026 FIFA World Cup: USA national team games, locations revealed How to Watch Spain vs Iraq World No.

Spain begins its pre-tournament preparations for the 2026 World Cup by facing Iraq on Thursday, but it will be without star forward Lamine Yamal for the friendly in A Coruña. La Roja enters the tournament as defending European champions and is among the favorites for the title,

The Iraqi Football Federation has requested FIFA to issue a permit for the players to wear black shirts for the match, as their World Cup match against Senegal coincides with the martyrdom night of Imam Hussain (AS).

Iraq have called up Ahmed Hassan Makenzie to their ​2026 World Cup squad to ‌replace Ahmed Yahya, who has been ruled out of the tournament with ​a hamstring injury, the national ​team announced on Saturday.

Guéla Doué scored a goal and set up the winning strike as Ivory Coast surprised France — and Doué's brother in the French dugout — with a 2-1 victory in a World Cup warmup match Thursday. Amad Diallo fired home Doué's low cross from the right six minutes from time at Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes.