Rene Meulensteen, assistant coach to Graham Arnold in the Iraqi national team, confirmed that the technical staff led by the Australian coach has succeeded in making three fundamental shifts within the ranks of the Lions of Mesopotamia after about a year of taking on the role. Meulensteen joined the team following the Iraqi Football Association's contract with Arnold to lead the team towards the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Meulensteen said in media statements: "We experienced a difficult and challenging period during the preparation for the World Cup playoff, due to the unstable conditions surrounding the match's scheduling, and there was a state of uncertainty in the past phase due to events in the region."

He added: "We held continuous meetings to follow the developments, while the International Federation was keen on fixing the playoff match dates despite the difficulties. We strive to qualify deservedly, and this represents a significant step for Iraqi football."

He explained: "Qualification has an important moral and economic impact on the country, as football is an integral part of Iraqi life, and reaching the World Cup will give a big boost to the sports community and open up opportunities to develop infrastructure. Talents exist and need an advanced organizational and training environment."

Regarding the biggest goal of the technical staff, Meulensteen concluded by saying: "We must continue to develop the national teams' system, especially the age groups, to feed the first team in the future. We have changed three things: organizing the defense, shifting the mentality to a clearer attacking tendency, and making ball possession a dominant feature in the players' performance."

He concluded: "Some ideas may not succeed on the ground, but we are working to instill a positive culture within the group, enhance defensive discipline, and develop the style of play, paving the way to achieve the bigger goal of securing a ticket to the finals, which is the dream of every Iraqi citizen."

Iraq will face Bolivia next Wednesday morning in the final global playoff qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, while the Lions of Mesopotamia continue their preparations in the city of Monterrey.