Iraqi players celebrate a win over Bolivia in a World Cup qualifier Tuesday in Guadalupe, Mexico. Photo by Miguel Sierra/EPA
Iraq beat Bolivia in an intercontinental playoff to claim the final spot in the record-breaking 48-team field for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Aymen Hussein scored the go-ahead goal in the 53rd minute of the 2-1 victory Tuesday in Guadalupe, Mexico. With the win, Iraq clinched a spot in the World Cup for the first time since 1986.
“If they had qualified for 40 years, then I probably wouldn’t have taken the job,” Iraq coach Graham Arnold told reporters. “That’s the type of person I am. I love a challenge. I believed in the actual players because of the quality that they have.
“I’m so delighted for the players, because they are really good boys. I’m really, really happy for the 46 million Iraqis and the country of Iraq. Hopefully this will help change the perception of Iraq as well as help the game of football in Iraq.”
Another five teams qualified earlier Tuesday, ending a 937-day qualifying period for the largest World Cup in history.
The 2026 World Cup will be held June 11 to July 19 in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Iraq, ranked No. 57 in the world, will join Group I, which includes top-ranked France, No. 14 Senegal and No. 31 Norway.
The Iraqis will take on the Norwegians in their World Cup opener at Gillette Stadium — which will be called Boston Stadium for the World Cup — at 6 p.m. EDT June 16 in Foxborough, Mass. Corporate branding for stadiums are prohibited during the tournament.
Iraq Bolivia
Iraq return to the #FIFAWorldCup 40 years later. pic.twitter.com/fknt56hTJ1— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) April 1, 2026
No. 22 Turkey, No. 38 Sweden, No. 41 Czechia, the No. 46 Democratic Republic of the Congo and No. 65 Bosnia and Herzegovina were among the other teams to claim the final six tickets to the World Cup.
Turkey beat No. 78 Kosovo 1-0 in a qualifier Tuesday in Pristina, Kosovo. Sweden edged No. 35 Poland 3-2 in Solna, Sweden. The DR Congo held off No. 71 Jamaica with a 1-0 triumph in Zapopan, Mexico.
Czechia beat Denmark through a 3-1 penalty shootout in Prague, its capital city. Bosnia and Herzegovina advanced through a 4-1 penalty shootout victory over Italy in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Italy (No. 12) and Denmark (No. 20) are the only teams inside the Top 25 of the world rankings who failed to qualify for the World Cup.
Turkey joined Group D with the No. 16 United States Men’s National Team, No. 24 Austria and No. 40 Paraguay. Sweden is in Group F with the No. 7 Netherlands, No. 18 Japan and No. 44 Tunisia. The DR Congo joined No. 5 Portugal, No. 13 Colombia and No. 50 Uzbekistan in Group K.
Czechia will compete No. 15 Mexico, the No. 25 Korea Republic and No. 60 South Africa in Group A. Bosnia and Herzegovina joined No. 19 Switzerland, No. 30 Canada and No. 55 Qatar in Group B.
Each of the teams in the 12-group tournament will play a trio of group stage matches. The top two teams from each group advance to the Round of 32. The eight third-place teams with the most points also advance to the knockout stage.
Round of 32 matches will be held June 28 to July 3. The Round of 16 will be held July 4 to 7. The World Cup quarterfinals will be played July 9 to 11. The semifinals are scheduled July 14 and 15.
The World Cup finale will be held July 19 in East Rutherford, N.J. More than 100 World Cup games will air live across Fox and FS1. Every match also will stream live Fox One and the Fox Sports app.
Mexico will host South Africa in the first match of the 2026 World Cup at 3 p.m. EDT June 11 in Mexico City. Co-hosts Canada and the United States will open their competition against Bosnia and Herzegovina and Paraguay, respectively, the next day in Toronto and Inglewood, Calif.
Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, a look at recent winners
Lionel Messi of Argentina celebrates with the FIFA World Cup trophy after Argentina’s 2022 FIFA World Cup Final win — its third tournament trophy — at Lusail Stadium in Lusail City, Qatar, on December 18, 2022. Photo by Chris Brunskill/UPI | License Photo
