Revealing the Latest Developments of Montadhar Al-Majed

Younis Mahmoud, President of the Iraqi Football Association, is preparing for a task described as complex during his upcoming visit to the Spanish city of Girona, where the Lions of Mesopotamia national team is holding its final camp before the 2026 World Cup finals next month.

The new president of the association, who secured his presidency in the Baghdad elections, surpassing Adnan Darjal and Iyad Bunyan, will be dealing with a sensitive file concerning the future of Hammarby Swedish player Montadhar Al-Majed, in an attempt to reintegrate the player into the technical staff's plans led by Graham Arnold.

Sources close to the association confirmed that Younis Mahmoud will prioritize Montadhar Al-Majed's file during his meetings with the technical staff in Spain. The player is delivering remarkable performances with his Swedish team and is considered one of the most prominent Iraqi professional players in terms of numbers and technical performance this season.

Mahmoud intends to discuss the player's situation directly with Arnold and try to convince him to add him to the national team's preliminary list, especially since the current list includes 34 players and is still expandable before announcing the final squad for the World Cup.

The task does not seem easy, as Arnold had imposed an administrative penalty on Al-Majed after his absence from the national team call-up for the UAE match in the Asian playoffs. This decision made the player's return complicated, but the association president is relying on his administrative influence and new status to open a direct channel of understanding with the Australian coach.

Sources described the task as "almost impossible," but they pointed out that Younis Mahmoud sees it as an opportunity to bring a distinguished player back to the national team, while at the same time meeting the increasing public demand to include names that prove their presence in European leagues.

The association president realizes that bringing Montadhar Al-Majed back to the Lions of Mesopotamia will represent a significant moral gain before the World Cup. The step will grant him additional public support at a time when the association's management needs to unite with the sports community, especially with the approach of Iraq's first global entitlement in four decades.

The Girona visit will not be limited to the technical aspect only but will also carry reassuring messages to the players and the technical staff that the new administration is providing all reasons for success and that the national team file will be managed with the direct presence of the association president himself.