Brazilian Jorvan Vieira, former coach of Iraq, commented on the 'Lions of Mesopotamia' reaching the 2026 World Cup finals in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, after defeating Bolivia 2-1 in Monterrey early Wednesday.

Iraq returns to the World Cup for the second time in its history after participating in 1986 in Mexico, when the late Ahmed Radhi scored Iraq's only goal in that edition.

Vieira said in media statements: "The qualification of the Iraqi team to the 2026 World Cup finals represents an important historical achievement for Iraqi football. This moment will give the Iraqi people a great joy they have long awaited for 40 years, and it is a very important event for Iraq."

He added: "The Iraqi people love football and live its details daily, so their participation in the World Cup will bring great happiness to Iraqis. The celebration scenes we see in Baghdad, Basra, and other cities remind us of what happened in 2007, when Iraqis took to the streets to celebrate the achievement."

He continued: "Today I watched the players playing with the spirit of the historic 2007 generation that won the Asian Cup title. They showed great courage, and when Iraq plays with this spirit, it can achieve the best results. Honestly, this qualification is also an important step for the development of Iraqi football."

Vieira concluded: "Iraq has players of high quality, and achieving positive results helps push Iraqi football forward and opens the door for more players to become professionals abroad. I still follow the team, sports media, and everything related to Iraq, because my connection to Iraq is very deep."

He concluded: "Participation in the 2026 World Cup is of great importance, especially with the increase in the number of teams to 48, which gives Iraq a chance to present a distinguished level. The most important thing is the presence in the World Cup, because the name of Iraq will be mentioned everywhere, and this is extremely important for the country and the Iraqi federation."

Between Vieira's recalling of 2007 memories, his praise for the players' courage, and his emphasis on quality, professionalism, and the importance of presence in the 48-team edition, the message seems clear: qualification is not the end of the road, but the beginning of a project worthy of a country that lives football daily and wants to turn joy into a path of sustainable development.