Iraq's World Cup exit revives debate over football's long-standing decline

SALADIN, Iraq — Iraq's national football team exited the 2026 World Cup in the group stage after losing 4-1 to Norway, 3-0 to France and 5-0 to Senegal, with Aymen Hussein scoring the team's only goal. The results echo Iraq's first World Cup appearance in 1986 in Mexico, when the side also failed to advance and lost by similar margins to Paraguay, Mexico and Belgium, with the late Ahmed Radhi netting the lone goal. The article points to a set of recurring weaknesses behind the latest exit, including low technical and tactical standards, limited chance creation, slow defensive-to-attacking transitions, poor conditioning, mounting injuries and psychological tension under pressure. It also cites a shortage of skilled strikers, gaps in goalkeeper preparation and long-running administrative problems within the country's football federations. The piece calls for a long-term preparation plan targeting the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and the 2026 Spain–Portugal–Morocco World Cup, alongside broader reforms. Proposed measures include restructuring sports administration on a merit basis, strengthening coordination between Baghdad and the Kurdistan Region, building football academies in Mosul, Basra, Najaf, Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Duhok and Kermian, expanding school and club participation, and raising referee training and regional competition to international standards.