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1
Asian Cup 2007
Won against all odds in 2007 — football uniting a fractured nation.
LIONS OF MESOPOTAMIAASIAN CHAMPIONS 2007
FILE No. 42CLASS: OUTSIDERSTATUS: BACK AFTER 40 YEARSWC 2026 · USA·CAN·MEX
☆From a single appearance in 1986 to a long-awaited return.
IRAQ
Lions of Mesopotamia// 40 years after their only World Cup, the Lions are back
“In 2007, football united a fractured country. That spirit never left.”— The view from Baghdad
The record
1 — 2007
Asian Cup
Group stage — 1986
Best WC finish
2 — 1986, 2026
WC appearances
#57
FIFA Ranking
01 · The Dossier — The Soul
Football as defiance,
football as unity
No team carries quite the emotional weight of Iraq. The 2007 Asian Cup, won amid conflict at home, remains one of sport's great unifying stories — and now the Lions of Mesopotamia return to the World Cup after 40 years.
2007 · against all odds+Resilience+A new generation+The long-awaited return
BaghdadLions of MesopotamiaThe 2007 miracleResilienceAsad Al-Rafidain
Iraq's only previous World Cup came in 1986. Two decades later, in the midst of war and with the team unable to play at home, a patched-together side won the 2007 Asian Cup — a victory that brought rival communities into the streets together. It remains the team's defining moment.
Since then, World Cup qualification stayed agonisingly out of reach — until now. A young, hungry generation finally ended the 40-year wait. Drawn with France, Senegal and Norway in Group I, the Lions face a brutal test — but no team plays with more meaning.
02 · The Cabinet — Honours
The record
One unforgettable continental title — and a return to the World Cup four decades in the making.
05 · The Legend — The 2007 Captain
Younis Mahmoud
He scored the header that won the 2007 Asian Cup — and in doing so gave a war-torn country a moment of pure, shared joy. Younis Mahmoud, captain and talisman, is the most revered footballer Iraq has produced.
His goal in the final against Saudi Arabia, and his dignified leadership amid unimaginable circumstances, made him a national hero far beyond football.
Every Iraqi player who pulls on the shirt now carries the meaning of that summer: that this team is about more than results — it is a symbol of unity and resilience.
// The Iraqi greats
02
Ahmed Radhi
Scorer of Iraq's only WC goal · 1986
03
Nashat Akram
The 2007 playmaker
04
Hawar Mulla Mohammed
The 2007 winger
YOUNIS
Younis Mahmoud
2007
Asian Cup winner
57
Goals
🦁
The captain
06 · Threat Assessment
⚠ HOSTILE · THE GROUP OF GIANTS
The enemy
Group I is unforgiving — France, Senegal and Norway all rank far above Iraq. After 40 years away, the enemy isn't any one team; it's the sheer scale of the step up.
France — the world's eliteMAXIMUM
Norway — the openerPIVOTAL
40 years of rustREAL
Nobody expects points from this group. But for a nation that found unity through this team, simply being back on the world stage is already a victory.
The wounds
// the long road back
// Group I — the field
France
GROUP I
The 2018 champions — the towering Matchday 2 test.
Senegal
GROUP I
African heavyweights — the finale in Toronto.
Norway
GROUP I
Haaland's side — the opener, and Iraq's realistic best chance of a result.
04 · The road — The road · WC 2026
Kickoff
13
Days
08
Hours
33
Mins
26
Secs
Until Iraq's first kick — vs Norway · June 16
07 · The Bridge to Europe
Lightning rod
Born in Manchester, schooled at United, he chose Iraq — and became the symbol of a new, more connected generation. Zidane Iqbal carries the hopes of the Lions' modern era.
IQBAL
Man Utd academy productChose IraqThe diaspora's faceUtrecht
🎯
The creator
23
Age at the World Cup
Europe
The new wave
A symbol of how far Iraqi football's reach now extends, blending homegrown grit with European schooling. “The future of the Lions runs through him.”
The Return Meter
// outclassed, or a famous result?
Honoured to be hereA point against the odds
Current reading
The grand occasion
Drawn with France, Senegal and Norway, Iraq faces the toughest group imaginable. Every minute is history; points may be a step too far.
08 · Key Power · World Cup 2026
AYMEN HUSSEIN
The spearhead · Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya · No. 10
Against this group, Iraq will sit deep and need its few chances to count — and Aymen Hussein is the man to take them. A powerful, prolific striker and the team's main goal threat through qualification, he is the most likely source of a precious goal on the grandest stage. If the Lions roar, he'll be the reason.
🎯
The spearhead
30
Age at the World Cup
№10
The talisman
The last line of the file
In 2007, football united a nation.
Forty years on, the Lions are back.
Lions of MesopotamiaThe 2007 miracleGroup IBack after 40 yearsResilience
Squad
As of 2026-06-01
Manager
G. Arnold