Deadline for Iraq's squad announcement for Gulf Cup 27

Iraq's head coach Graham Arnold will announce the final squad for the 'Lions of Mesopotamia' participating in the Gulf Cup 27, scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia.

The long-awaited announcement comes just days before the tournament, with the Iraqi sports community eagerly anticipating the names the coach will rely on for his first Gulf test with the national team.

According to sources close to the coaching staff, Arnold has nearly completed the player evaluation process after closely monitoring matches in the Iraqi Stars League over the past weeks.

The Australian coach held several meetings with his assistants to finalize the last names, especially in positions that saw strong competition between local and professional players.

The squad is expected to feature a mix of experienced players who participated in the FIFA World Cup 2026 and new faces that Arnold wants to give the opportunity to refresh the team.

Iraq have been drawn in Group A alongside hosts Saudi Arabia, as well as Kuwait and Oman.

The 'Lions of Mesopotamia' begin their campaign in the tournament against the Oman national team on Tuesday, September 23, in the first round of the group stage.

The opening match will serve as an early test of the team's capabilities, especially since Oman has significant experience in Gulf tournaments and always poses a challenge for the big national teams.

The Iraqi sports community is waiting for the list to know who will be present and who will be absent. The proposed names are many, and the competition is fierce in every position.