Iraq's language-based system and a World Cup setback

Language decides your flank in Iraq's camp

This is wild. Iraq have set up a training camp where players are housed and given passports based on background, and their position on the pitch is decided by language. "Chi parla arabo gioca a destra chi sa l'inglese a sinistra", Arabic speakers on the right, English speakers on the left (1). The camp doubles as a pathway to citizenship for diaspora players. No other national team does anything like this.

France loss leaves Iraq in a hole

Iraq fell 3–0 to France in the World Cup group stage, a match suspended for two hours by a thunderstorm (2). Kylian Mbappé scored twice and Ousmane Dembélé added the third. Hussein Ali did what he could against Mbappé, but the gap was real. The result puts knockout-stage progress under serious threat. Your team showed discipline and physical resilience in brutal conditions, but the mountain just got steeper.