A member of the Iraqi Football Union, Ghaleb Al-Zamili, confirmed that the competitions of the Iraqi Stars League will temporarily stop after the third round, starting from October 5, in coordination with the national team coach Graham Arnold.

Al-Zamili explained that the decision to suspend was due to the difficulty of professional players joining their foreign clubs outside the internationally recognized "FIFA Days," which led the coaching staff to prefer focusing on direct preparations instead of playing friendly matches, to ensure ideal preparation for the Asian playoff matches qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.

Al-Zamili also revealed that the Iraqi Football Union has officially contacted the Saudi side to increase the share of Iraqi fans from the tickets for the matches that will be held in Saudi Arabia, noting that the union is still awaiting a response.

It is worth mentioning that the Iraqi national team will start its journey in the playoff against Indonesia on October 11, and will then meet Saudi Arabia on the 14th of the same month, at the Jewel Stadium in Jeddah.