Iraq have reached the World Cup for the first time in 40 years, but coach Graham Arnold says his team are aiming well beyond qualification as they prepare for a difficult Group I campaign in Boston.
Iraq open their tournament against Norway on Tuesday, with 2022 finalists France set to meet Senegal in the other headline match of the group’s first round. Arnold said his players have embraced the scale of the event and the pressure that comes with it after navigating a long, demanding qualification route that stretched to 21 matches.
The coach described the squad as battle-hardened by the process, saying the repeated knockout-style pressure of playoffs and qualifying fixtures has created a strong learning experience. Iraq secured the final available World Cup place in March by defeating Bolivia 2-1 in an inter-confederation playoff, completing a journey that has already become a major achievement for the team and its supporters.
However, Arnold stressed that reaching the finals is not the end goal. He said the squad must believe in itself and approach the tournament with confidence, especially after seeing several underdog teams produce encouraging results early in the competition. He pointed to Cape Verde’s 1-1 draw with European champions Spain and Qatar’s draw with Switzerland as examples that have lifted spirits inside the Iraq camp.
According to Arnold, the team’s mindset is now focused on performance rather than participation. He said the players have been counting down to the opening match and are fully aware of the significance of the moment, but qualification alone will not satisfy them. “I want more,” he said, making clear that Iraq intend to compete aggressively rather than simply make up the numbers.
Iraq’s World Cup history adds weight to the challenge. The team have never won a match at the tournament, losing all three of their group-stage games in their only previous appearance in 1986. That record underscores the size of the task facing Arnold’s side as they prepare to confront stronger opposition in a group that includes one of the world’s leading football nations.
Even so, the coach insisted Iraq enter the competition with freedom and determination. He said the squad has “everything to gain and nothing to lose,” a message aimed at encouraging boldness against more established rivals. After a difficult year and a celebration that briefly marked their return to football’s biggest stage, Arnold said the time has come to move beyond congratulations and focus on proving themselves on the pitch.
For Iraq, the World Cup represents both a historic return and a fresh opportunity. With a long qualification campaign behind them and belief growing from surprise results elsewhere, Arnold’s side hope to make an impact far greater than simply reaching the finals.
