Zidane Iqbal cannot hide his excitement. "It is going to be a dream come true and I cannot wait," the Iraq midfielder told Sky Sports. Having helped the country qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2026, Iqbal is preparing for what will be the nation's first appearance at the tournament in 40 years.

The previous qualification came in 1986 — well before Iqbal was born. The Manchester-raised 23-year-old admits that the 2010 FIFA World Cup is the earliest edition he can recall. When asked about Zinedine Zidane's infamous headbutt in the 2006 final — a moment that shares a certain symmetry with his own famous name — he laughs: "I have seen the clips but I was only three!"

The goal that sparked a nation

Iqbal, who plays for Utrecht in the Eredivisie, qualifies for Iraq through his mother. He quickly became a fan favourite during qualifying, scoring a decisive goal against Indonesia. "It was just surreal scoring that goal because that is what I was waiting for," he recalls.

That goal alone was not enough to seal qualification. Iraq still required a play-off victory over Bolivia to end four decades of absence. Iqbal watched that decisive match from the bench, returning from a long-term injury, as his team-mates finished the job without him. "When you are playing, the adrenaline takes over," he explains — making it harder, not easier, to be a spectator.

The celebrations that followed were joyous. Iqbal was pictured wearing a sombrero in Mexico on the night of the play-off win, surrounded by jubilant team-mates he describes as "one big family." The messages of support that flooded in from around the world left a deep impression. Since then, his sole focus has been reaching peak condition for the tournament. "Making sure I can be at 100 per cent," he says — even spending his days off in one-on-one training sessions back in Manchester.

Memories of Manchester United and Cristiano Ronaldo

Iqbal joined Manchester United at eight years old and spent 12 years at the club. In October 2021, at the age of 18, he came off the bench in a UEFA Champions League group-stage match against Young Boys, becoming the first South Asian player to represent United and the first to appear in the UEFA Champions League. "I just focused on football, not to be the first of this or that," he says. "But it is nice knowing that you can inspire kids."

During his time at Old Trafford, Iqbal trained alongside Cristiano Ronaldo — a surreal experience for a player who had grown up watching him. "Seeing someone that you had played with on FIFA and stuff to then train with was crazy," he says. "He is probably one of the greatest of all time, if not the greatest."

What he took from Ronaldo, above all else, was a mindset. "Just his mentality, how focused he is, how seriously he takes things. But he is also a very nice, calm guy. He is chill."

Growing up fast at Utrecht

The decision to leave Manchester United was Iqbal's own. He wanted first-team football and believed the Eredivisie offered the right environment. "The best league for me to go to. Technical," he explains. Two injuries interrupted his time at Utrecht, but he insists he has returned stronger from both. The exposure to competitive club football — in front of full stadiums, with real pressure attached to every performance — has accelerated his development.

Moving abroad at 20 also meant growing up quickly off the pitch. "When you get there, reality hits you," he admits. "The cereal and the milk in the fridge is not just going to be there at the weekend." Three years on, he is open about the loneliness that can come with living alone. "When you wake up on your day off and the house is empty, that is the main thing." But he is proud of the man it has made him.

With one year remaining on his Utrecht contract, a return to England is not off the table. "I just miss it here. We will see what happens." First, though, comes the FIFA World Cup 2026.

The group of death

Iraq's group draw was unforgiving. They face Erling Haaland's Norway, then France — "their team is amazing," Iqbal admits — before closing the group stage against Senegal. Iraq coach Graham Arnold has taken to calling it the "group of excitement" or the "group of opportunity," and Iqbal has embraced that framing.

"No one is expecting us to get out of the group so we have got less pressure on us," he says. "Football isn't played on paper. There have been upsets in the past before. Why can't we do it?" Iraq have, as he puts it, broken a 40-year curse. Now, their lad from Manchester is dreaming of something bigger still.