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Graham Arnold

Graham Arnold

Head Coach, Iraq men's national football team

Appears in 1 story

Stories

Iran withdraws from 2026 World Cup after U.S.-Israeli strikes kill supreme leader

Force in Play

Requesting FIFA delay Iraq's March 31 playoff

Iran became the first non-host nation to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. A year later, it became the first qualified nation in the modern era to pull out for political reasons. Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali announced on state television that Iran will not participate in the tournament hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico—three months after a joint U.S.-Israeli military campaign killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and devastated the country's military infrastructure.

Updated 3 days ago