Australian Graham Arnold has become a coaching icon in the Iraqi sports community after leading the 'Lions of Mesopotamia' to the 2026 World Cup finals for the second time in Iraq's history. He has received widespread acclaim from fans and experts who are calling for him to be given broader powers to oversee the future of the national teams.

Arnold received a warm welcome upon his arrival in Sydney, Australia, where the Iraqi community gathered at the airport to greet him with chants and Iraqi flags, expressing great gratitude to the coach who brought Iraq back to the global stage after a 40-year absence. The Australian coach, in turn, expressed his deep gratitude to the Iraqi community, stating that this love gives him greater motivation to work.

In this context, Iraqi coach Saad Hafiz said in an exclusive statement to 'winwin' that the participation of the Iraqi team in the 2026 World Cup requires systematic work and a clear strategy during the upcoming preparation phase. He added: 'The Iraqi Football Association must work in accordance with the vision of the technical staff led by Graham Arnold to ensure the best possible readiness before entering the global tournament.'

Hafiz explained that the next phase requires scheduling friendly matches against teams representing football schools similar to those Iraq will face in the World Cup, noting that the draw placed Iraq against France, Norway, and Senegal, which necessitates diversifying the preparatory tests.

Hafiz confirmed that the victory over Bolivia in the global playoff was an important turning point, as it helped alleviate psychological pressure on the national team players and gave them a huge morale boost before entering the World Cup atmosphere.

He continued: 'In my opinion, Arnold is the best foreign coach to have led the Iraqi national team, and the reason is not limited to achieving qualification alone, but because he possesses a clear coaching philosophy, a strong leadership personality, and a professional working style that is evident in all details of preparation, camps, and match management.'

Coach Saad Hafiz called on the Iraqi federation to capitalize on the current momentum and renew full confidence in coach Arnold, granting him leadership of the technical project to prepare the team for the World Cup. He added: 'He should be given a broader technical role that goes beyond the first team, to oversee the methodology of work in the age group teams. This will ensure the development of the national team system in a comprehensive manner and enhance the benefit from his technical expertise in the long term over the coming years.'

The Iraqi sports community is anticipating the federation's next steps regarding Arnold's future, amid consensus that the Australian coach has become the 'achievement maker' and a project to build a new Iraqi football that benefits from the World Cup experience.