Younis Mahmoud, Vice President of the Iraqi Football Association, revealed details of a decision that significantly affected the course of the Iraqi national team during the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Mahmoud indicated that his supervision of the team came at an important time under the leadership of Spanish coach Jesús Casas, who was dismissed after a decline in results, most notably the loss to the Palestinian team.

Mahmoud said in his statements to winwin: "The Spanish coach received great trust from the beginning, based on the vision of the former president of the association, Adnan Darjal, and the choices of the technical staff did not face any objections from the executive committee members of the association, due to Darjal's prestigious status at the time."

He added: "Darjal held the position of Minister of Youth and Sports and the presidency of the association at the same time, which gave decisions related to contracting with coaches great strength and support. Most of the executive committee members did not oppose those decisions due to the great respect and appreciation for the position of the association's president."

Mahmoud continued: "The trust was high at the beginning, but over time, indicators appeared that some choices were not entirely ideal. I see that contracting with Casas was not wrong, as he showed a professional level during the first months of his work."

He added: "The team was progressing well until the match against South Korea, after which things changed. The approach of certain individuals to the coach led to Casas entering a state of imbalance, which negatively reflected on the results in the following matches."

Mahmoud emphasized the good relationship he has with the players, saying: "My relationship with the players is based on mutual respect, especially since some of them have previously played with me in the national team, which helped maintain a good atmosphere within the camp. I was keen to address any problem before it escalated within the team."

It is worth noting that the Iraqi Football Association later decided to contract with Australian coach Graham Arnold, who successfully led the Iraqi national team to the global playoff qualifying for the World Cup, where the "Lions of Mesopotamia" have only one match left to secure qualification for the World Cup.