The Iraqi national football team received positive signals regarding its potential entry into Mexican territory, in preparation for the global playoff match qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, scheduled to be held in the city of Monterrey at the beginning of April.

The Iraqi team is expected to meet the winner of the match between the Bolivian national football team and the Surinamese national football team in the decisive playoff match at six in the morning on April 1st, in a match that will determine the identity of the team qualifying for the global finals.

Despite these positive developments, the Iraqi team's delegation still faces significant challenges related to travel, as the security situation in the region and the accompanying closure of Iraqi airspace have made the process of transferring the delegation to Mexico a complex task at present.

In this context, the Mexican government, through the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs, announced its readiness to provide all necessary facilities for the Iraqi team's delegation, aiming to ensure their participation in the playoff matches qualifying for the World Cup, which will be held in the cities of Guadalajara and Monterrey in the upcoming period.

The ministry explained in an official statement that the competent authorities have informed the Iraqi sports authorities about the procedures for facilitating the entry of players and members of the technical and administrative staff into Mexican territory, confirming its readiness to expedite the issuance of the required documents and permits to ensure the Iraqi delegation's arrival without complications.

The statement also pointed out that the continued closure of Iraqi airspace due to tensions in the Middle East represents one of the most prominent logistical challenges, yet the Mexican consular authorities are working to support all visa applications submitted by Iraqi team members wishing to travel to Mexico.

As part of these procedures, in recent days, the documents of several Iraqi team players were processed at the Mexican embassy in Saudi Arabia, while it is expected that the procedures for other players and members of the Iraqi delegation will be completed through the Mexican embassy in Qatar.

The Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs also confirmed that it has contacted the chargé d'affaires at the Iraqi embassy in Mexico to renew the offer of support and provide the necessary assistance to facilitate the transactions of the Iraqi team members and complete all required procedures.

The 2026 World Cup finals are scheduled to be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19. If the Iraqi team manages to secure a qualifying spot through the global playoff, it will participate in Group 9, which includes the national football teams of France, Senegal, and Norway.

It is noteworthy that the Iraqi team's coach, Graham Arnold, had previously proposed holding the Bolivia and Surinam match on its scheduled date, with the Iraqi team playing the final playoff match a week before the start of the World Cup, while the Iraqi Football Association awaits the final decision from FIFA regarding the match date and arrangements.