Warnings Inside Iraq's Camp After Ivan Barton Announced as Referee

Iraq national team players reacted cautiously to the announcement by the International Football Federation appointing Salvadoran referee Ivan Barton to lead the crucial match against Bolivia in the global playoff qualifying for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

The match will be held at Monterrey Stadium at 6 a.m. next Wednesday Baghdad time, and the winner qualifies directly to the finals, a goal pursued by the Lions of Mesopotamia since their last participation in 1986 in Mexico.

A source inside the camp said: "The technical staff, led by Graham Arnold, alerted the players to Barton's strictness and his disciplinary tendencies, particularly concerning the frequent issuance of colored cards. The decision was met with clear anticipation within the group."

He added: "Players were asked to avoid arguing and disputing with the referee, to maintain self-control, and to stay away from violent tackles, as any red card could disrupt the team's calculations in a match that does not tolerate mistakes."

Arnold emphasized distinguishing between enthusiasm and recklessness. The source continued: "The coach wants a fighting spirit without recklessness. Excessive aggression creates problems we can do without, and the goal is to deliver a tactically and ethically clean match, as any uncalculated individual act could derail the confrontation."

The Iraqi team has faced repeated expulsions over the past two years, most notably Hussein Ali's expulsion against Algeria in the Arab Cup in Qatar in December 2025, which led to a two-match suspension and his exclusion from the playoff after serving only one match of the penalty.

Before that, Ali Al-Hamadi was expelled against South Korea in Basra on June 5, 2025, in a match that ended in a 2-0 loss for Iraq, affecting the course of the qualifiers.

The most famous incident was Ayman Hussein's expulsion against Jordan on January 29, 2024, in the round of 16 of the 2023 Asian Cup, when he was shown the second yellow card and then the red after celebrating a goal, a decision that sparked widespread controversy.