https://www.scmp.com/rss/524288/feed The latest news and top stories on Graham Arnold, Head Coach of the Iraq national football team. He was appointed in May 2025, following a successful tenure leading the Australian national team. As Australia's head coach, he guided them to the 2022 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 and the U-23 team to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Previously, he achieved significant success in the A-League with Central Coast Mariners and Sydney FC, winning multiple championships and premierships. His expertise includes... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Coach Graham Arnold has challenged his players to “shock the world” after Iraq became the 48th and final team to qualify for the World Cup on Tuesday with a nerve-shredding 2-1 win over Bolivia in an intercontinental play-off in Mexico. Meanwhile, Japan, who were the first nation to qualify for the finals in North America, made their own slice of history with a statement 1-0 win over England that showed they could go deep at the finals. Iraq, whose preparations were disrupted by the war in the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3348703/world-cups-last-qualifier-iraq-plot-shock-while-japan-confident-making-more-history?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3348703/world-cups-last-qualifier-iraq-plot-shock-while-japan-confident-making-more-history?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 00:00:17 +0000 Associated Press,Agence France-Presse Associated Press,Agence France-Presse Earlier this month, Iraq coach Graham Arnold was stranded in Fujairah, on the eastern coast of the United Arab Emirates, because of the Middle East war. He wondered if his national team would even be able to compete for one last chance to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. After travelling a long and winding road to reach Mexico, Arnold and Iraq will seek to return to a World Cup after an absence of 40 years when they face Bolivia in the final of their intercontinental play-off in Monterrey in... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3348511/fifa-world-cup-2026-after-harrowing-travel-ordeal-iraq-hope-secure-asia-its-9th-spot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3348511/fifa-world-cup-2026-after-harrowing-travel-ordeal-iraq-hope-secure-asia-its-9th-spot?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 08:00:13 +0000 dpa,Agence France-Presse dpa,Agence France-Presse The remaining six places at this summer’s Fifa World Cup are set to be decided over the next week. As well as 16 European nations battling it out in the play-offs to secure one of four places available, Fifa is also holding a new six-team intercontinental event in Mexico that will determine the other two qualifiers. Here is a look at how the two formats work. What are the European play-offs all about? With the World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, expanded... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3347997/fifa-world-cup-play-offs-italy-coach-set-biggest-match-iraq-bid-second-finals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3347997/fifa-world-cup-play-offs-italy-coach-set-biggest-match-iraq-bid-second-finals?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 14:00:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters Crestfallen Indonesia coach Patrick Kluivert said his players were “devastated” after their pursuit of a place at next year’s World Cup came to an end on Saturday with a narrow 1-0 loss against Iraq in Jeddah. Graham Arnold’s side claimed the three points through a 76th minute goal by Zidane Iqbal, and the loss, Indonesia’s second in a row after a 3-2 defeat by Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, means the country’s hopes have been extinguished. Iraq, however, maintained their dreams of a first World Cup... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3328713/world-cup-asian-qualifiers-elimination-really-tough-indonesia-boss-patrick-kluivert?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3328713/world-cup-asian-qualifiers-elimination-really-tough-indonesia-boss-patrick-kluivert?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Oct 2025 13:30:08 +0000 Reuters,Agence France-Presse Reuters,Agence France-Presse Oman striker Muhsen Al-Ghassani has backed former Real Madrid coach Carlos Queiroz to lead the Gulf state to their first-ever World Cup as the country prepares for the next phase of Asia’s preliminaries for the 2026 finals. The Omanis take on Qatar in Group A of the fourth round of the continent’s qualifiers in Doha on Wednesday before facing off against the United Arab Emirates three days later in the battle for one of Asia’s two remaining World Cup slots. The group winners will join Japan,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3328139/world-cup-asian-qualifiers-big-coach-carlos-queiroz-backed-lead-oman-first-finals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3328139/world-cup-asian-qualifiers-big-coach-carlos-queiroz-backed-lead-oman-first-finals?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Oct 2025 15:00:08 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Hong Kong slipped to a fourth straight defeat after Iraq hit back following Matt Orr’s 61st-minute penalty to secure a 2-1 victory over the city team in their King’s Cup semi-final in Thailand. Orr nervelessly stroked home his 11th international goal after Juninho was cut down by Ahmed Yahya as he sprinted to reach a left-wing cross from Fernando. Graham Arnold, the Iraq head coach, promptly made a triple change, and it was one of the new men, Mohanad Ali, who turned the game on its head. Six... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3324381/kings-cup-hong-kong-lose-iraq-after-city-team-threaten-shock-favourites?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3324381/kings-cup-hong-kong-lose-iraq-after-city-team-threaten-shock-favourites?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Sep 2025 13:00:17 +0000