The head coach of the Iraqi national team, Australian Graham Arnold, announced the official and final list of the Lions of Mesopotamia that will compete in the global playoff qualifying for the 2026 World Cup finals, a step awaited by the Iraqi sports community to know the names that will represent the team in this crucial encounter.

This list comes after a period of technical monitoring of local and professional players, where the technical staff sought to choose the best elements capable of representing the Iraqi team in the decisive match that will determine the fate of qualifying for the World Cup.

The goalkeeper list included three names: Kamil Saadi, Ahmed Basil, and Fahd Talib, with the technical staff relying on the experience of these goalkeepers to protect the team's goal during the anticipated encounter.

In defense, the list included a group of players who are performing well with their clubs, including Rebin Sulaka, Manaf Younis, Akam Hashim, Zaid Tahseen, Frans Putros, in addition to Hussein Ali, Mirkhas Doski, and Ahmed Maknzi, to form the defensive line the team will rely on in this important match.

As for the midfield, the list included a number of prominent names capable of linking the lines and creating opportunities, including Imar Sher, Kevin Yakoub, Zidan Iqbal, Amir Al-Amari, and Zaid Ismail, to be among the options available to the technical staff in the midfield.

In the forward line, the technical staff selected a group of players with offensive and skillful abilities, including Hassan Abdulkarim "Qoqia", Youssef Amin, Ibrahim Bayesh, Ali Jassim, Marko Faraj, and Peter Georgis, names on which the team relies to create opportunities and threaten the opponent's goal.

The list also included main strikers who will lead the attacking line, namely Ayman Hussein, Muhannad Ali "Mimi", Ali Youssef, and Ali Al-Hamadi, who are expected to play a significant role in deciding the anticipated encounter.

The Iraqi national team will play its final match in the global playoff on the first of April on Mexican soil, where the Lions of Mesopotamia await the winner of the match between Bolivia and Suriname to determine the team qualifying for the 2026 World Cup finals to be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

The summoned list:

Goalkeepers: Kamil Saadi, Ahmed Basil, Fahd Talib.

Defense: Rebin Sulaka, Manaf Younis, Akam Hashim, Zaid Tahseen, Frans Putros, Hussein Ali, Mirkhas Doski, Ahmed Maknzi.

Midfield: Amir Al-Amari, Kevin Yakoub, Zidan Iqbal, Youssef Al-Amin, Ibrahim Bayesh, Marko Faraj, Hassan Abdulkarim, Imar Sher, Peter Korkis, Zaid Ismail.

Attack: Ali Jassim, Ali Al-Hamadi, Ayman Hussein, Ali Youssef, Muhannad Ali.