Iraq secured their place at the 2026 World Cup with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Bolivia in an intercontinental playoff Tuesday in Monterrey, Mexico. The win ended a 48-year World Cup drought for Iraq, who became the final team to qualify for the expanded tournament.

Ali Almahadi opened the scoring in the 18th minute before Bolivia's Moises Paniagua equalized in the 38th. Aymen Hussein scored the decisive goal in the 53rd minute to seal Iraq's historic qualification. The Iraqi team, coached by Australian Graham Arnold, will compete in Group I alongside France, Norway, and Senegal.

Iraq's World Cup campaign begins June 16 against Norway at Foxborough, followed by matches against France on June 22 in Philadelphia and Senegal on June 26 in Toronto. Bolivia, who reached the playoff with a win over Suriname, fell short in their bid to qualify for their second World Cup appearance.