Iraq’s opponent in the 2026 World Cup Intercontinental Playoff Final has finally been determined. The Lions of Mesopotamia will face Bolivia.
The Iraqi national team secured Asia’s spot in the Intercontinental Playoff after defeating the UAE in the Asian playoff last November.
Due to Iraq’s higher ranking, they qualified directly for the Intercontinental Playoff Final, held in Mexico, where they were drawn against Bolivia and Suriname.
Bolivia vs. Suriname: 2026 World Cup Intercontinental Playoff Semifinal Result
Bolivia defeated Suriname 2-1 in the 2026 World Cup Intercontinental Playoff Semifinal, played at the BBVA Stadium in Monterrey, Mexico.
Despite Suriname taking the lead through Liam van Gelderen in the 48th minute, Bolivia responded with goals from Moisés Paniaua and Miguel Terceros in the 72nd and 79th minutes, respectively.
¡REMONTADA BOLIVIANA! 😱 pic.twitter.com/1bLeNOsj0J
— Tigo Sports Costa Rica (@tigosports_cr) March 26, 2026
Iraq vs. Bolivia: 2026 World Cup Intercontinental Playoff Final
The Iraq vs. Bolivia match will take place next Wednesday, April 1, 2025, in Monterrey, Mexico.
The highly anticipated match will kick off at 6:00 AM Mecca and Baghdad time, 5:00 AM Cairo time.
2026 World Cup Intercontinental Playoff Final Match Schedule
Iraq’s Group in the 2026 World Cup
The 2026 World Cup draw, held in Washington, D.C., predetermined the group for either Iraq or Bolivia in the tournament to be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The winner of this match will join France, the runners-up in the previous edition, in Group I of the World Cup, along with Norway, featuring a talented generation led by Erling Haaland, and the African champions, Senegal.
Iraq faced difficulties in qualifying for the 2026 World Cup intercontinental playoff
Iraq struggled significantly in the final month to reach Mexico for the 2026 World Cup intercontinental playoff, to the point that Australian coach Graham Arnold requested a postponement of the event.
The Iraqi national team nearly had to rely solely on Iraqi players residing outside the country due to travel restrictions in the Middle East following the US-Israeli war with Iran.
Iraq also faced another problem: many players were unable to obtain the necessary visas to enter Mexico.
It is worth noting that Iraq has only qualified for the World Cup finals once, in 1986, while Bolivia has qualified three times, in 1930, 1950, and 1994, but has yet to win a match.
