Learn About the Details of the Friendly Match Between Iraq and Venezuela

The Iraqi national team will play its last friendly test on the dawn of Wednesday, June 10, 2026, before the start of the World Cup, when it faces the Venezuelan team at the SeatGeek Stadium in Chicago, USA.

The kick-off whistle will start at 4 a.m. Baghdad and Mecca time, while fans in Chicago will have their date with the match at 8 p.m. local time on Tuesday.

The Iraqi Sports Channels and the Fourth Sports Channel will broadcast the match, so the football community can follow the latest details of the Lions of Mesopotamia before the tournament.

For coach Graham Arnold, the match is not just a passing friendly, but it is the final general rehearsal that will determine the features of the main lineup with which Iraq will face Norway in the opening of Group 9 on June 17.

After an honorable draw against Spain with one goal each and a hard-fought victory over Andorra with one goal without response, Arnold wants to test the physical and mental readiness of his players at a time close to the World Cup atmosphere, especially since the meeting takes place at dawn and in the city of Chicago.

Venezuela, in turn, is a team not to be underestimated, possessing speed on the flanks and quick transitions that closely resemble the style of Senegal, one of Iraq's competitors in the group.

Therefore, the confrontation will be a valuable opportunity to measure the strength of the backline led by Akam Hashim and Zaid Tahseen, and to test the effectiveness of the attacking flanks like Marco Farji and Ibrahim Baish against defenses playing with South American roughness.

Arnold will field the best available names, headed by Ayman Hussein, who looks forward to compensating for the long hours of interrogation he spent at Chicago Airport previously with a performance that satisfies the fans.

The Australian coach wants to see for himself who deserves to wear the main jersey in the World Cup, and who can be relied upon as a substitute card capable of changing the course of difficult matches against France, Norway, and Senegal.