The former star of the Iraqi national team, Nashat Akram, directed sharp criticism at the Iraqi national team players after their failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, following a goalless draw with the Saudi national team in the final round of the Asian playoff.

Nashat Akram stated in media remarks: "After every loss, we usually say better luck next time for the Iraqi team. Frankly, the team's performance against Saudi Arabia was better than the match against Indonesia, but overall we must accept reality, and this is the level of the team, and the fans must be convinced. "

He added: "In Iraq, for the past two years, officials have been comforting themselves and lying that they are working and presenting themselves as good people. In the end, what happened has happened, and Iraq failed to capitalize on two opportunities to qualify for the World Cup despite the circumstances that may not be repeated again."

Akram pointed to the role of the former coach in the team's failure, saying: "In the decisive qualifiers, the former coach Jesus Casas was not good enough, but the Iraqi federation rushed to renew his contract and put Iraq in a whirlpool, even though Iraq played on its home ground and among its fans, and failed to exploit the available points."

He continued: "The Iraqi players are lucky because they played on their home ground and among their fans, and everyone knows the size and impact of the Iraqi fans, especially in Basra Stadium when the stands are filled with 65,000 spectators. In the past, throughout my career, I only played 4 matches on Iraqi soil."

Akram addressed the Iraqi players, saying: "You should have been more careful about yourselves and your physical fitness, and take care of yourselves doubly in order to succeed and write history. This failure is borne by everyone, not just the players, but also the Iraqi federation and the officials in the country."

He continued: "The blame is not only on the players but also on the Iraqi clubs that grant huge sums of money to players just because they played one or two matches with the national team, because they do not deserve that money. Frankly, the fans deserve a better team, and it's enough laughing at people's faces."

Akram concluded his remarks by emphasizing the importance of learning from past mistakes and benefiting from the experiences of current and new players, stressing that Iraqi football needs discipline and hard work at all levels, whether within the national team or clubs, in order to regain its Asian and international standing.