Iraq to face France in World Cup qualifier at midnight Baghdad time

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's national football team will take on France in a 2026 World Cup qualifier scheduled to kick off at midnight local time in Baghdad, with the match set to end at 2:00 a.m. The fixture is being played in France, not in Baghdad, which has limited the visibility of the late-night kickoff for Iraqi fans. Iraq lost 4-1 to Norway last Wednesday, but public support for the national team, known by the nickname "Asofü'r-Rafdîn," has continued. Following that previous match, which also kicked off at 1:00 a.m. Baghdad time, Prime Minister Mustafa Sudani ordered official working hours shifted to 10:00 a.m. that Wednesday so civil servants and citizens could watch the game. The decision was carried out at the instruction of Youth and Sports Minister Ali Zeydi, according to the original reporting. Iraqi Football Federation President Atacan Fayiz welcomed the working-hours adjustment and posted a message backing the national team. Attention has now turned to whether the Prime Minister's office will announce a similar schedule change for Tuesday, when the France match is played, to allow Iraqis to follow the qualifier. No official statement had been issued as of publication.