Jubilation as Iraq, Turkey, and Bosnia make history with last-minute World Cup qualifications

Shock, joy, and elation have erupted across Iraq as its national team beat Bolivia in a nail-biting match on Tuesday to secure its place at this year’s World Cup - its first appearance at the competition in 40 years.

The last match of the intercontinental play-off, played in the Mexican city of Guadalupe, was set to determine the 48th and final team to qualify for the competition, due to be held in the US, Canada, and Mexico this summer.

Goals from Ali Al-Hamadi and Aymen Hussein secured the win for Iraq, who put up a strong fight against a hardworking Bolivian side, which was also determined to make history on Tuesday.

Some fans were visibly moved to tears following the win, while others could not contain their joy.

The players, elated with their achievement, celebrated on the pitch with the country’s national flags and Mexican sombreros in a nod to the host country. Fans took to the streets, waving flags, chanting slogans, and were even joined by several Mexican fans in their celebrations.

The Lions of Mesopotamia’s coach, Graham Arnold, was hoisted up on the shoulders of the team’s staff and was seen waving the Iraqi national flag.

Speaking after the win, Arnold said: "With everything going on in the Middle East at the moment, it made it harder for the players."

I am delighted for the players, very good boys, and very happy for the 46 million Iraqis."

Arnold, who was appointed in May last year, said he hoped the country’s achievement would "change the perception of Iraq" and football in the country".

"Let's shock the world."

On Wednesday morning, hours after the historic qualification, Iraqis flooded the streets of Baghdad in celebration. Fans banged on drums and other musical instruments, chanting and waving their national flags across the capital, on foot and in vehicles.

Iraq’s achievement comes at a time when preparations have been disrupted by the war in the Middle East, which the country has been dragged into over the past month. The national team has also been impacted by the travel disruption caused by the war. It took a total of three days to reach Mexico from Baghdad, which began with an overland crossing into Jordan.

In June, the team will face Senegal, Norway, and France in Group A, which was already dubbed 'the group of death' at the time of the draw.

This marks the second time Iraq will participate in the World Cup, with their last appearance being at the 1986 finals in Mexico.

Their opening match against France will be played on 22 June, at the Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

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Turkey will also be making a return to the tournament after a 24-year absence, after they edged Kosovo 1-0 on Tuesday.

Kerem Akturkoglu put the Crescent-Stars forward with a tap-in goal in the second half, enough to secure their place at this year’s finals despite a passionate performance from Kosovo.

The team will be participating in their third overall World Cup this summer, their last appearance being in 2002, where they reached the semi-finals to finish in third place.

Turks across the country, as well as across the diaspora, took to the streets to celebrate the achievement. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hailed the feat. In a statement on X, he said: "I wholeheartedly congratulate our national football team for earning their place in the World Cup finals.

"We have full faith that Our Boys, as always, will carry the crescent-starred jersey from victory to victory and fill our nation with pride."

Turkey will play their first World Cup match against Australia in Vancouver on 13 June, and are joined by the US and Paraguay in Group D.

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Bosnia and Herzegovina will also make a grand return to the World Cup this year, after defeating four-time champions Italy on penalties.

Italy were the slight favourites going into the game, but under intense pressure to qualify given their pedigree and failure to make it to the two previous tournaments. Bosnia and Herzegovina, on the other hand, had nothing to lose and a home advantage.

Italy broke the deadlock early in the game following a goal from Moise Kean, but Bosnia levelled the game with an equaliser from Haris Tabakovic, with 11 minutes left in the game.

The bout then went to penalties, with Bosnia comfortably beating the Azzurri 4-1.

The win saw the stadium and the host city of Zenica erupt in elation. The players celebrated their achievement with fans, and particularly hailed US-born Esmir Bajraktarevic, who scored the decisive penalty for the Bosnian side. The PSV Eindhoven player started his international career with the country of his birth before switching allegiance to Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2024, citing his strong connection to his roots.

The country’s capital, Sarajevo, witnessed hours-long celebrations, as well as other European cities home to sizable Bosnian communities.

Bosnia has only appeared at a World Cup once before, in 2014. The team will play their first match against co-hosts Canada on 12 June in Toronto, and will be joined by Qatar and Switzerland in Group B.

Elsewhere, a pre-World Cup friendly between Spain and Egypt was marred by racist comments made Spanish fans.

The fixture, held at the RCDE Stadium in Barcelona, saw chants from the Spanish crowd directed at Egypt's players, containing offensive language regarding Islam.

This has been condemned by Spain coach Luis de la Fuente, who called the fans' actions "intolerable" and said that they "must be removed from society, identified, and kept as far away as possible".