Graham Arnold: We Respect Spain but We Came to Test Our Readiness for the World Cup

Australian coach Graham Arnold held a press conference on Wednesday evening at the Riazor Stadium, 24 hours before Iraq's friendly match against Spain. The coach appeared very confident and talked about the details of the camp, the expected lineup, and the goals of the Lions of Mesopotamia before heading to Chicago to begin the 2026 World Cup journey.

Arnold began by praising the Girona and La Coruña camp, saying: "The time we spent in Spain was perfect in every aspect. We trained intensively, played a match against Andorra that gave us some answers, and now it's time for a real test against a team with a clear football philosophy and a great history. The players are in good physical condition and their mental focus is very high."

The Australian coach refused to treat the match as a "regular friendly," and confirmed that the team will enter with full seriousness: "We respect Spain a lot, this is a former European and World Champion team, playing a collective football that is hard to imitate. But we did not come to Riazor for photos or pleasantries. We came to measure ourselves, to see where we stand tactically and physically before facing Norway, France, and Senegal in the World Cup. If we close the spaces and play with focus, we will definitely create chances."

Regarding the Riazor pitch, which had raised concerns recently, Arnold commented: "We heard about the condition of the pitch, but this is part of football. The players need to adapt quickly. I asked them to focus on short passes and movement without the ball to minimize risk. We will not make the pitch an excuse; the important thing is performance and adherence to the plan."

When asked about the players he will rely on, Arnold did not hide his confidence in three names: "Ayman Hussein returned to training excellently after the rest we gave him against Andorra. His experience and ability to handle the ball under pressure will be very important tomorrow. Amir Al-Amari has a European mentality, knows how to bring the ball out from the back, and makes a difference in set pieces. Also, Ali Jassim, this young man has great courage, and if he plays with confidence, he will cause problems for any defense."

He added: "But football is not just about 3 players. We need 11 fighters on the pitch. The message I conveyed to the team is simple: play with personality, don't be afraid of possession, and if you lose the ball, press immediately to retrieve it."

Arnold concluded the conference with a message to the Iraqi public: "I know the longing of the Iraqi fans. They are the 12th player for us, and their support reaches us even here in Spain. Our goal in the World Cup is not just participation. We want to leave a mark, to make the world talk about Iraq as a tough and respectable team. Tomorrow's match is a step in this direction."

The coach also revealed that the match against Venezuela in Chicago will be the last chance to solidify the main lineup, and that the Spain match will give him the final picture of strengths and weaknesses: "After the final whistle tomorrow, I will sit with the technical staff and analyze every moment. We need to enter the World Cup knowing exactly what we excel at and what we need to hide from the opponents."

Tomorrow, Thursday, at exactly ten p.m. Baghdad time, Riazor will be the stage for Iraq's first real test against a global football school, under the leadership of a coach who insists that the Lions of Mesopotamia can trouble the big teams.