FIFA World Cup
The West Asian side sealed a return to the global stage with their last possible chance - defeating Bolivia in the Inter-Confederation Playoff.
Factfile
FIFA Ranking: 57
Previous appearances: 1
First appearance: 1986
Best finish: Group Stage
2022 record: Did not qualify
How they qualified: Inter-Confederation Playoff winners
Group I fixtures - June 16: v Norway; June 22: v France; June 26: v Senegal
Fun fact: Ahmed Radhi scored Iraq's only goal at their FIFA World Cup debut in 1986 - in a 2-1 defeat to Belgium.
FIFA Ranking: 57
Previous appearances: 1
First appearance: 1986
Best finish: Group Stage
2022 record: Did not qualify
How they qualified: Inter-Confederation Playoff winners
Group I fixtures - June 16: v Norway; June 22: v France; June 26: v Senegal
Fun fact: Ahmed Radhi scored Iraq's only goal at their FIFA World Cup debut in 1986 - in a 2-1 defeat to Belgium.
"The year I've been in charge has been crazy and very, very stressful for the players," Arnold said to AFP in phone interview from Baghdad, shortly before heading to Spain for a pre-tournament training camp.
"Every game basically since I've been here has been a game of life and death."
"Every game basically since I've been here has been a game of life and death."
#AsianQualifiers - Road To 26 Playoffs | Iraq 2-1 UAE
Arnold, 62, was appointed in May last year to succeed Spaniard Jesus Casas. At that point, the Lions of Mesopotamia were pushing for direct qualification in Group B of the AFC Asian Qualifiers™ - Road to 26 behind Korea Republic and Jordan.
But on Arnold's debut, 10-man Iraq lost to the Koreans. They eventually had to win a two-legged play-off against the United Arab Emirates - courtesy of a decisive Amir Al-Ammari penalty in the 17th minute of injury time - to progress to an intercontinental play-off in Mexico in March.
However, at that time, the US and Israeli airstrikes on Islamic Republic of Iran left many Iraqi players and staff stranded and scrambling to make the long trip.
But on Arnold's debut, 10-man Iraq lost to the Koreans. They eventually had to win a two-legged play-off against the United Arab Emirates - courtesy of a decisive Amir Al-Ammari penalty in the 17th minute of injury time - to progress to an intercontinental play-off in Mexico in March.
However, at that time, the US and Israeli airstrikes on Islamic Republic of Iran left many Iraqi players and staff stranded and scrambling to make the long trip.
"The airspace was shut down in Iraq. I couldn't get back into Iraq to get my coaching equipment. The players couldn't get out of Iraq," Arnold recalls, detailing the 26-hour bus trip they took from Baghdad to Amman in Jordan.
"And they got stuck in Jordan for 28 hours because of bombs going off around them and they shut down the airspace.
"When the boys actually got there, it took 68 hours. One of the first meetings and discussions I had with the players was, OK, with everything that's going on in the Middle East, are you going to use that as an excuse or motivation?"
"And they got stuck in Jordan for 28 hours because of bombs going off around them and they shut down the airspace.
"When the boys actually got there, it took 68 hours. One of the first meetings and discussions I had with the players was, OK, with everything that's going on in the Middle East, are you going to use that as an excuse or motivation?"
Iraq defeated Bolivia 2-1 in Monterrey, securing a first FIFA World Cup appearance since 1986 after an interminable 21-match qualifying campaign.
"The players went through a hell of a lot of stress and a lot of pressure on their shoulders from 46 million people in Iraq to qualify for a World Cup for the first time in 40 years," said Arnold.
"Every one of those games was heartbreak or we survived."
"The players went through a hell of a lot of stress and a lot of pressure on their shoulders from 46 million people in Iraq to qualify for a World Cup for the first time in 40 years," said Arnold.
"Every one of those games was heartbreak or we survived."
.jpg?w=2400&q=80)
This may only be Iraq's second FIFA World Cup, but the country has a footballing pedigree - they won the AFC Asian Cup™ in 2007 and were semi-finalists in 2015.
"I've never seen a country so obsessed with football. They have public holidays when Barcelona play Real Madrid," says the coach.
"I've never seen a country so obsessed with football. They have public holidays when Barcelona play Real Madrid," says the coach.
Iraq are in a daunting group at this World Cup, starting against Norway in Boston on June 16 before also playing France and Senegal. So what can they realistically achieve?
"We qualified last. If you went through every individual player and every team, and the transfer price of all the players, we would probably be the lowest-ranked at the World Cup," says Arnold, whose contract expires on July 31.
"But it's a World Cup. Anything can happen. And our boys have a great fighting mentality. It's 11 versus 11. And if we win our one-versus-one battles, we can shock the world."
Sources: FIFA, AFP, AFC
"We qualified last. If you went through every individual player and every team, and the transfer price of all the players, we would probably be the lowest-ranked at the World Cup," says Arnold, whose contract expires on July 31.
"But it's a World Cup. Anything can happen. And our boys have a great fighting mentality. It's 11 versus 11. And if we win our one-versus-one battles, we can shock the world."
Sources: FIFA, AFP, AFC
