Iraq returns to the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 40 years, facing France, Norway and Senegal in Group I of the tournament hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico. The dates being:
- Iraq vs Norway, 16th June
- Iraq vs France, 22nd June
- Iraq vs Senegal, 26th June
But beyond the results on the pitch, this team carries a significance that extends far beyond football. The national team includes players from Arab, Kurdish and Assyrian backgrounds, symbolising unity through sport. Kurdish players Merchas Doski, Youssef Amyn, Akam Hashim and Marko Farji played important roles throughout the qualification campaign contributing to the team’s strength and tactical balance.
Assyrian representation was equally significant, with Rebin Sulaka providing defensive leadership as a regular starter, while Aimar Sher, Kevin Yakob and Peter Gwargis added technical skill and attacking depth in midfield and forward positions.
Among Iraq’s Kurdish stars, Zakho-born defender Merchas Doski captured international attention just days before the tournament, scoring a stunning equaliser against European champions Spain in a World Cup warm-up match.
What this squad represents matters beyond the scoreline. Kurds, Assyrians, Chaldeans, Shia and Sunni Arabs standing together under one flag is not a small thing in a country whose modern history has been marked by division and repression of minorities. It does not resolve those tensions. But it demonstrates that a plural Iraq, one in which minorities are not merely tolerated but included with merit.
For Kurdistan, having Kurdish players represent Iraq at the World Cup is a complicated reality. But their visibility and contribution to a team that reflects all of Iraq’s peoples sends a clear message about what inclusive national identity can look like when it is built on merit rather than ethnicity or sect.
Iraq’s World Cup return is a sporting achievement. The team that earned it may matter more than the results it produces.
