Ipswich forward Ali Al-Hamadi and former Manchester United academy midfielder Zidane Iqbal have been named in Iraq's 26-man squad for the 2026 World Cup by coach Graham Arnold.

The pair are among the headline names as Iraq prepare for their first World Cup appearance in 40 years, having secured qualification by defeating Bolivia 2-1 in the play-offs — a match in which Al-Hamadi got on the scoresheet alongside experienced striker Aymen Hussein, while Iqbal remained an unused substitute.

Al-Hamadi's remarkable journey

Al-Hamadi, 24, has one of football's more extraordinary backstories. His family fled Iraq when he was a baby and settled in Liverpool, where he was picked up by Tranmere before making his EFL debut with Wycombe in 2022. Two years later, he made history as the first Iraqi player to appear in the Premier League, turning out for Ipswich in 2024. He spent the most recent campaign on loan at Luton in League One.

Iqbal, 23, was born in Manchester and came through United's academy, earning one UEFA Champions League appearance before moving to Dutch club Utrecht in 2023. He featured 18 times for Utrecht last season.

Naamo left out despite debut

Not everyone who impressed in the build-up made the cut. Defender Dario Naamo — who recently switched his international allegiance from Finland and marked his Iraq debut with a 1-0 friendly win over Andorra on Friday — was omitted from Arnold's final selection.

Ahmed Qasem, who also made his Iraq debut on Friday after switching from Sweden, did earn his place. The Nashville SC midfielder is included in the squad.

Captain and squad details

Goalkeeper Jalal Hassan leads the group as captain, bringing 100 caps of experience to the tournament. Arnold has also retained fellow keeper Kamil Saadi as a precautionary measure outside the official squad in case of injury to his three selected goalkeepers.

Iraq have been drawn in Group I at the 2026 World Cup and face Norway in Boston, France in Philadelphia, and Senegal in Toronto.

Iraq's full squad:

Goalkeepers: Fahad Talib (Al-Talaba), Jalal Hassan (Al-Zawraa), Ahmed Basil (Al-Shorta).

Defenders: Hussein Ali (Pogon Szczecin), Manaf Younis, Ahmed Yahya, Mustafa Saadoon (Al-Shorta), Zaid Tahseen (Pakhtakor), Rebin Sulaka (Port), Akam Hashim (Al-Zawraa), Merchas Doski (Viktoria Plzen), Zaid Ismail (Al-Talaba), Frans Putros (Persib).

Midfielders: Amir Al-Ammari (Cracovia), Kevin Yakob (Aarhus GF), Zidane Iqbal (Utrecht), Aimar Sher (Sarpsborg), Ibrahim Bayesh (Al-Dhafra), Ahmed Qasem (Nashville SC), Youssef Amyn (AEK Larnaca), Marko Farji (Venezia).

Forwards: Ali Jassim (Al-Najma), Ali Al-Hamadi (Ipswich), Ali Yousef (Al-Talaba), Aymen Hussein (Al-Karma), Mohanad Ali (Dibba).