Overview
- The Iraqi federation has sought a delay to the Monterrey playoff, citing airspace closed until April 1 and embassy shutdowns that have left many domestic players and staff unable to travel, with coach Graham Arnold stuck in the UAE and a Houston camp postponed.
- Bolivia face Suriname in Monterrey on March 26, with the winner scheduled to play Iraq on March 31 for a place at the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
- Arnold proposed keeping the March 26 game as planned but staging Iraq’s decider against the winner about a week before the World Cup in the United States so both teams can prepare properly.
- FIFA has issued no public ruling, and reports say a mooted 25-hour overland route from Baghdad to Turkey to catch flights was rejected by Iraqi authorities as impractical.
- Mexico’s foreign ministry is working with Iraq via its embassy in the UAE and says visas can be issued in European countries, while uncertainty over Iran’s participation continues to complicate Asian qualification contingencies.