Iraq will travel to Mexico by private plane for their World Cup play-off despite calls from coach Graham Arnold to postpone the match amid the US-Israeli war with Iran, the Iraqi Football Association's president says. Iraq are due to face either Bolivia or Suriname in Monterrey on 31 March, with the winner of the inter-continental play-off booking their place at the 2026 World Cup. But in a video statement carried by the Iraqi News Agency, Iraq FA chief Adnan Dirjal said he had written to Fifa to explain the "difficulty of the journey" and world football's governing body had been "co-operative".
Author: BBC Sport
Published at: 2026-03-14 23:56:28
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