Iraq manager Graham Arnold praises squad following World Cup achievement

Iraq secured their spot in the World Cup with a 2-1 victory over Bolivia in Mexico during their inter-confederation play-off on Wednesday, marking a comeback to the finals after 40 years away.

Aymen Hussein netted a decisive goal in the second half, ensuring the Iraqis became the 48th and final team to qualify for the event set to take place in Canada, Mexico and the US.

Ali Al Hamadi put Iraq ahead in the 10th minute at Monterrey Stadium, yet Bolivia equalised before half-time via Moises Paniagua.

Arnold previously took Australia to the last 16 at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and will now be the second Australian manager to guide two separate sides to the World Cup finals.

Before considering a matchup against France, I must mention that I encountered them earlier with Australia during the 2022 World Cup. We fell 4-1, but that match served as fuel to overcome Tunisia and Denmark, advancing to the knockout stage, Arnold explained to journalists.

Arnold highlighted the challenging environment for Iraq due to ongoing issues in the Middle East.

All the unrest in the Middle East has made things tougher, Arnold remarked.

I prohibited social media use from the moment we arrived, he continued. I wanted to keep their minds off the Middle East situation, so they could concentrate fully on our task here.

Arnold described reaching the World Cup as a huge honour for the team.

Iraq has no pressure to fear, he noted. We need to enter the World Cup aiming to win, as that is the path to creating memorable moments. Playing against stars like Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland represents an immense privilege for our squad.

We admire their skills, yet we will take to the pitch intent on causing upsets and highlighting Iraqi football worldwide, he stated.

Iraq will compete in World Cup Group I with France, Norway and Senegal.