Iraq to probe World Cup failure, map overhaul after winless return
Soccer Football – FIFA World Cup 2026 – Group I – Senegal v Iraq – Toronto Stadium, Toronto, Canada – June 26, 2026 Iraq’s Ibrahim Bayesh, Aymen Hussein and Jalal Hassan look dejected after the match REUTERS/Piroschka Van De Wouw
Read a summary of this article on FAST.
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST
Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
June 29 : The Iraqi Olympic Committee said on Monday it will launch an investigation into the national team’s disappointing World Cup campaign and outline measures to prevent a repeat of such poor results in future tournaments.
Iraq’s first appearance at the finals in 40 years was a harsh lesson, with the team losing all three group-stage matches in one of the toughest draws, alongside former champions France, Norway and African powerhouse Senegal.
The scale of the challenge became clear as Iraq exited the tournament without a point, conceding 12 goals, highlighting the gap to more established footballing nations.
Iraqi Olympic Committee president Aqeel Muftin said a meeting would be held with officials from the Iraqi Football Association to assess the causes of the poor performance and outline a plan for improvement.
Guess Word
Crack the word, one row at a time
Buzzword
Create words using the given letters
Mini Sudoku
Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser
Mini Crossword
Small grid, big challenge
Word Search
Spot as many words as you can
“We will hold a meeting with Football Association officials to examine the reasons behind the team’s decline in results at the World Cup and to develop a strategy for its improvement,” Muftin told the Iraqi News Agency , adding that “everyone is saddened” by the outcome.
He said discussions after the team’s return would focus on ensuring the setback is not repeated, with a comprehensive roadmap covering the short, medium and long term to identify weaknesses and address them.
Muftin added that the review would be handled by specialised committees tasked with finding solutions to the weak standards of the domestic league and national teams, and laying the foundations for sustained progress. “This requires the combined efforts of everyone,” he said.
He stressed that responsibility for rebuilding the side extends beyond any single body. “The national team does not belong to the Olympic Committee, the federation or the government — it belongs to the nation, and everyone is responsible for supporting it and ensuring its success,” he said.
(Reporting Ashraf Hamed Atta; Editing by Toby Chopra)
Source: Reuters
Sign up for our newsletters
Get the CNA app
Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories
Get WhatsApp alerts
Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST
Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
About The Author
