Iraq open World Cup against Norway after 40-year wait

Your World Cup starts tonight

Iraq vs Norway. Tuesday, 23:00 UK time. Boston. Your first World Cup match in 40 years (1) (3).

Graham Arnold's squad has dragged themselves here through 21 qualifiers over 28 months, a 117th-minute penalty, a playoff, and a friendly against Spain. Now it comes down to Group I. France, Norway, Senegal. Norway first. Haaland is waiting.

CBS Sports has Norway as favourites, but this is a team Arnold says is "capable of doing something that will shock the world" (1). The referee is César Arturo Ramos of Mexico (3). Kickoff is hours away.

Zidane Iqbal makes history

Zidane Iqbal will become the first player of Pakistani heritage ever to feature at a men's World Cup. The former Manchester United midfielder is in the Iraq squad and set to play this summer (2).

It is a historic milestone for the Pakistani diaspora, and it happens in an Iraq shirt.

Asia on a roll

Your team walks into a tournament where AFC sides have not lost. Qatar drew. Australia won. Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Japan all drew. South Korea won. Six matches, zero defeats.

Now it is Iraq's turn.

Fan-reaktioner

There is real emotion around this return, and it goes beyond football. One post ahead of the Norway match highlighted Assyrian and Kurdish representation in the squad, calling them "two of the most marginalized communities in the Middle East," now stepping onto the biggest stage together. The World Cup preview for Iraq has been circulating with the nickname "Lions of Mesopotamia" and a genuine sense that this story is bigger than the 90 minutes. Link