World Cup 2026: Iraq Dreams of Making History with Graham Arnold

After resigning as Australia's head coach in September 2024, Arnold's family had just gotten used to him being home more, only to now face his plan to go to Baghdad — a land still associated with war and instability in Western eyes.

Arnold shared: "About 50%, even 75% of my family members objected when they learned I accepted the offer to go to Iraq, due to preconceptions about Baghdad and Iraq. But after nearly a year living here, I see that's not true. This country is changing every day. They have suffered so much from war, but the people here are wonderful."

And Arnold didn't just say it for show. Although his contract allowed him to travel between FIFA Days, the 62-year-old strategist decided to live continuously in Baghdad for 8 months to understand Iraqi culture and people. He said: "I cannot turn Iraqi players into Australians and expect them to think like Australians. I have to adapt to their culture while adjusting discipline requirements to achieve the biggest goal: securing a World Cup berth."

Arnold has achieved what no coach has done since 1986 — bringing Iraq back to the World Cup stage through the intercontinental playoff in Monterrey (Mexico). For this Middle Eastern country, it's not just a sporting achievement but a historic moment. Arnold confessed: "I am extremely impressed with Iraq, especially the love for football here. 45-46 million people are crazy about this sport. When you talk to the people, you understand that the World Cup is a dream they have been waiting for their whole lives."

Away from his family in Sydney, Arnold maintains connection through daily morning calls with his wife Sarah and weekly video calls with his children and grandchildren. But he says the most important thing is building "a family" right in the Iraqi team's dressing room.

On the very first day, Arnold noticed a divide in the squad: players born in Iraq sat separately, while those who grew up in Europe or Australia gathered at different tables. He recalled: "I immediately changed that. I wanted everyone to sit together and talk to each other. And now you can see that after every match, they truly love each other."

Many current Iraqi players grew up in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, or Australia — a result of decades-long migration. But according to Arnold, this has become a strong motivation: "They hear their parents tell stories of what Iraq has been through, and they all want to make this country proud."

The "reward" for that miracle is a group labeled as the "Group of Death" at the 2026 World Cup: Iraq will face France, Senegal, and Norway with star Erling Haaland.

But Arnold is used to playing the role of the "underdog." He has been to three World Cups with Australia: as assistant to Guus Hiddink in 2006, assistant to Pim Verbeek in 2010, and leading the Socceroos at Qatar 2022 — where Australia reached the Round of 16 and only narrowly lost to eventual champions Argentina. He said: "I learned more from Guus Hiddink in 10 months than in 10 years on my own. And Pim Verbeek taught me the art of managing people."

On June 17, Iraq will open against Haaland's Norway — the striker has scored 55 goals in 49 appearances for his country. Arnold acknowledged: "Of course Haaland is a goal-scoring monster. Perhaps he is the best center-forward since Marco van Basten. But the question is whether we can cut off the supply of balls to him."

The Australian coach is confident in their physical and weather advantage: "It will be very hot and the Nordic teams are not used to that. Many of our players play football in 40-degree Celsius weather every week. We have to take advantage of that."

More importantly, Arnold wants Iraq to play with toughness and fighting spirit: "If you give good players space, they will destroy you. So we have to press, we have to collide, we have to fight for 90 minutes."

After Norway, Iraq will face France with Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, and Michael Olise, before closing the group stage against Senegal. Nevertheless, Arnold shows no fear. He commented: "Nothing is written that Norway, France, or Senegal will definitely beat Iraq. We came to the World Cup to do something special."

According to Arnold, Iraq's biggest weapon lies not in tactics but in spirit. He said: "They are brothers to each other. I am like their father, and the coaching staff are like uncles. The most important thing is to help the players believe that they can surprise the whole world."

And before the opening match at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts, his final message to his players will be very simple: "Step onto the field and make your families proud. Make Iraq proud."