Noah Darwish, the 19-year-old midfielder of Germany's Stuttgart, is one of the prominent names that the Iraqi Football Association is striving to add to the ranks of the 'Lions of Mesopotamia' before the 2026 World Cup finals in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

The young player possesses high technical capabilities in the midfield, making him a priority in the project to attract expatriate talents. The association hopes to finalize his case as it recently did with Youssef Nasrawi, a Bayern Munich reserve player on loan to Austria's Red, who is expected to be part of the World Cup squad.

Ahmed Al-Fallouji, a member of the expatriate committee in the Iraqi Federation, confirmed that the process of calling up professional players in Europe is proceeding according to a studied plan. He stated that there is ongoing communication with a number of young names in the old continent, despite the presence of technical and administrative difficulties, most notably some being linked to foreign teams.

Al-Fallouji explained that the exclusion of some players from the list is not related to any penalties or administrative bans. He cited the example of Montadhar Al-Majed, indicating that the matter is entirely due to the technical conviction of the coaching staff. Graham Arnold evaluates each player based on their compatibility with the style of play and tactics he desires, which is a natural aspect of professional work.

Regarding Noah Darwish, Al-Fallouji revealed that the federation has been working for a long time to complete his paperwork, alongside Youssef Nasrawi and Ahmed Qasem. Efforts included forming a working group in Germany to communicate with the player and reaching him through his tribal chief in Najaf province, in addition to previous attempts while he was at Barcelona's academy in Spain.

However, Darwish's recent call-up to the German Olympic team has complicated the matter, delaying the resolution of his position to a later time. The federation continues its attempts to persuade the player to represent Iraq, especially since the upcoming World Cup represents a historic opportunity for the new generation to emerge.

On another note, Al-Fallouji ruled out the possibility of Kevin Jacob returning to the Iraqi league next season. The player is currently focused on developing his level with Denmark's Aarhus, and it is difficult to discuss his return before two or three seasons, due to his desire to continue his professional career in Europe.

The expatriate file has become one of the most important cards for the Iraqi Federation in building a team capable of competing globally. Successfully acquiring Noah Darwish would be a great asset to the midfield of the 'Lions of Mesopotamia,' given the need for young elements with European field experience.

The federation bets on continuous communication and personal persuasion, but it realizes that the final decision will be in the hands of the player himself, and his choice to represent Iraq or continue with the German team.