Iraq advanced to the intercontinental playoff for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a dramatic 2–1 comeback victory over the United Arab Emirates in the second leg of the Asian playoff at Basra International Stadium. The first leg in Abu Dhabi had ended in a 1–1 draw.
Ammar Al-Ammari scored the decisive goal in the 90+17 minute from the penalty spot, after substitute striker Mohanad Ali “Mimi” equalized in the 66th minute. The UAE had taken the lead earlier in the match through Caio Lucas in the 52nd minute.
Iraq will now compete in the global playoff scheduled for March, which features representatives from Africa (DR Congo), South America (Bolivia), CONCACAF (two teams), and Oceania (New Caledonia). The playoff will determine the final qualification spots for the 2026 World Cup hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada from June 11 to July 19.
The “Lions of Mesopotamia” aim to qualify for the World Cup for the second time in their history, having previously appeared in the 1986 edition in Mexico. Meanwhile, the UAE will miss out once again, remaining with their only appearance in 1990 in Italy.
Iraq goalkeeper Jalal Hassan, who earned his 100th international cap, said: “It was a difficult match for both sides. We fought hard, and the players fulfilled their responsibilities. We promise our fans more—there’s still a crucial match waiting for us in March.”
Before a crowd of nearly 60,000 supporters in Basra, Iraq secured the win thanks to the impactful substitutions made by Australian coach Graham Arnold, who managed to guide his team despite the absence of five key players due to injuries. The victory marked Iraq’s fourth win over the UAE in eight meetings, with the Emiratis claiming two wins and two matches ending in draws.
The UAE threatened early with attempts from João Pedro (5’) and Rúben Amaral, whose shot was stopped by Hassan (25’). Lucas eventually opened the scoring after converting a cross from Yahya Nader following a defensive breakthrough (51’).
Arnold responded quickly by introducing Zidane Iqbal and Mohanad Ali in the 56th minute, and the latter found the equalizer ten minutes later with a header following a long pass from Al-Ammari (65’).
Mimi nearly added a second but missed a clear chance in the 84th minute, while the UAE thought they had regained the lead through Lucas, only for it to be ruled out for offside (85’).
After a VAR review confirmed a handball on Nader, Iraq were awarded a penalty. Al-Ammari calmly converted it into the right corner, igniting massive celebrations across the stadium (90+17).
