Iraq national team opts for Thailand tournament after losing friendly opponent

According to Bolasport.com, Iraq national team under coach Graham Arnold has decided to participate in a friendly tournament in Thailand — after Kuwait preferred Indonesia as their sparring partner.

The Lions of Mesopotamia are one of six teams that will compete in the fourth round of 2026 World Cup Qualifications Asian zone — alongside Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, and Indonesia.

September international break serves as the only preparation opportunity for Asian nations before October qualifications. In this situation, Iraq initially targeted Kuwait — a team ranked 138th in FIFA rankings with similar characteristics to other Arab teams.

However, these plans had to change when Kuwait decided to face Indonesia in the upcoming September international break — leading Iraq to switch to the Thailand tournament option.