- Tue, Jun 16 — Iraq vs Norway — Boston Stadium, Boston · Group I · 6:00 PM ET
- Mon, Jun 22 — France vs Iraq — Philadelphia Stadium, Philadelphia · Group I · 5:00 PM ET
- Fri, Jun 26 — Senegal vs Iraq — Toronto Stadium, Toronto · Group I · 3:00 PM ET
Iraq World Cup 2026 Kickoff Times
All Iraq kickoff times are shown in your local timezone, auto-detected from your browser. Iraq play their group stage matches in Boston, Philadelphia, and Toronto. Use the timezone selector above to convert match times to ET, GMT, CET, IST, AEST, or any timezone. Set your available hours to see which Iraq matches fit your schedule. For the full tournament schedule, the printable schedule, or a custom calendar, pick the tool that fits.
About Iraq at World Cup 2026
Iraq are back at the World Cup for the first time since 1986. The journey to get here was extraordinary. Their only previous appearance came during the Iran-Iraq war, when they lost all three group matches without scoring. The intervening 40 years have brought a 2007 Asian Cup title, one of the great underdog stories in international football, but qualifying for a World Cup had always proved just out of reach.
The qualification drama could fill a documentary. They sacked their coach mid-campaign, hired former Australia boss Graham Arnold, narrowly missed automatic qualification by goals scored, then needed a 107th-minute penalty in the Asian play-off against the UAE. And they still weren't done. A trip to Mexico for an intercontinental play-off final against Bolivia awaited, and they got through that too. The journey was almost as exhausting to follow as it was to live through.
Just getting to those play-offs was an achievement given the geopolitical challenges the team faces. Playing away matches amid ongoing conflict in the Middle East isn't easy, and the disruption extends to training camps, preparation, and the mental toll on players and staff. The squad has developed a sense of purpose and unity through adversity that carried them through four separate qualification rounds.
Arnold brought experience and tactical pragmatism after replacing Jesus Casas mid-campaign. The team doesn't have household names that casual fans will recognize, but the collective is organized, physically competitive, and plays with a never-say-die attitude that's born from genuine hardship. The football-mad Iraqi public, many of whom stayed up through the night to watch those play-off matches, will be watching with immense pride.
Group I with France, Senegal, and Norway is about as difficult as it gets. Iraq will be heavy underdogs in every single match, and making it out of the group would rank as one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history. France are potential champions, Norway have Erling Haaland, and Senegal are one of Africa's best teams. The maths doesn't add up for progression.
But this isn't about the maths. Iraq's World Cup is about representation, about showing the world that a nation facing enormous challenges can still compete on sport's grandest stage. If they can produce one memorable result, one moment of magic that cuts through the noise of a 48-team tournament, it will resonate far beyond football. They've already beaten the odds just to be here. Anything else is a bonus, and bonuses are what make World Cups special.