As the decisive confrontation in the global playoff qualifying for the 2026 World Cup approaches, concerns are growing within sports circles about the readiness of the Iraqi national team, amid increasing talk of a physical deficiency that may affect the team's performance in the anticipated match at the beginning of April.

The Lions of Mesopotamia are preparing to engage in a crucial match in the Mexican city of Monterrey against the winner of the Bolivia-Suriname confrontation, following a training camp scheduled to start in mid-month in Houston, USA, as part of an intensive preparation program preceding the big challenge.

In this context, Iraqi coach Ahmed Jumaa expressed his views on the physical condition of the players, pointing out that when a player reaches advanced stages of representing national teams, they are supposed to have acquired a strong and solid fitness base.

Jumaa indicated that the reality shows a clear disparity in the level of physical readiness among several players, which negatively impacts when participating in continental or international tournaments characterized by high tempo and physical pressure, adding that the problem is not limited to the first team only but extends to early age stages.

The coach explained that the gap in physical preparation during the younger age categories directly affects the quality of performance later, especially in light of the significant development witnessed in modern football, which has come to rely on speed, strength, endurance, and high match density.

He confirmed that the absence of a solid physical foundation in the early formation stages makes the player face significant difficulties when transitioning to higher levels, where physical and technical demands double.

Jumaa proposed addressing this issue through a long-term project led by the Iraqi Football Association, based on establishing an integrated physical preparation system starting from young ages, by adopting scientific and systematic training programs, alongside regular monitoring of fitness levels and analyzing training loads.

He pointed to the importance of training specialized fitness coaches to work with age groups, in addition to setting clear plans to develop players' physical culture from the beginning, affirming that investment in this aspect represents the real guarantee for building a generation capable of competing continentally and internationally.

Amid these challenges, the Iraqi national team's technical staff, led by Australian coach Graham Arnold, is working on finding appropriate solutions before entering the global playoff atmosphere, striving to ensure the best possible readiness before engaging in the decisive match that may determine the fate of the World Cup dream.