World Cup 2026: Iraq returned, but it will take years to bridge the gulf with football's elite

World Cup 2026: Iraq returned, but it will take years to bridge the gulf with football's elite Submitted by John Duerden on Thu, 07/09/2026 - 10:50 Iraq must turn its first World Cup appearance in 40 years into lasting progress – through better coaching, youth development and domestic reform Iraq's players applaud their fans after a 5-0 loss to Senegal and their elimination from the Fifa World Cup, in Toronto, 26 June 2026 (Megan Briggs/Getty Images/AFP) Off Iraq ended a 40-year wait and returned to football's biggest stage this summer, but the scale of their World Cup defeats showed just how far they still have to go to compete with the game's elite nations. The Lions of Mesopotamia began their campaign with a 4-1 defeat to Norway, followed by a 3-0 loss to France, before they crashed out of the tournament with a 5-0 defeat to Senegal. No team conceded more goals in the group stage.