The Iraqi and DR Congo national teams qualified for the 2026 World Cup through the intercontinental play-offs, securing their places in the tournament for the first time in many years.
Africa had an additional half-spot in the World Cup, with one team from each continent qualifying for the intercontinental play-offs, which also included teams from South America, North America, and Oceania.
The intercontinental play-off matches were held in Mexico, consisting of semi-finals and a final, divided into two paths.
DR Congo defeats Jamaica
In the first path, Jamaica overcame New Caledonia to face DR Congo, who had qualified for the play-offs after defeating Nigeria on penalties in Morocco.
Coach Sébastien Desabre’s team secured their place in the USA, Canada, and Mexico World Cup thanks to Tuanzebe’s 100th-minute goal after extra time, following a goalless draw in regulation time.
Thus, the Democratic Republic of Congo qualifies for the World Cup for the first time in 52 years, since its last appearance in the 1970s under its former name, Zaire.
Ayman Hussein’s goal secures Iraq’s qualification at Bolivia’s expense.
Also in Mexico, Bolivia qualified for the intercontinental playoff final after a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Suriname, setting up a clash with Iraq, who secured their place in the playoff with a thrilling win over the UAE in the Asian playoff.
The Iraqis faced significant difficulties entering Mexico and traveling due to the situation in the Middle East, but Graham Arnold’s squad ultimately arrived in North America with a full complement of players to compete in this historic tournament.
Against Bolivia, Ali Al-Hammadi opened the scoring in the 10th minute, but the Latin American team, which finished seventh in the South American qualifiers, equalized through Moisés Paniagua in the 38th minute.
In the 53rd minute, current Iraqi legend Ayman Hussein secured qualification for the Lions of Mesopotamia by scoring the winning goal for the Asian Arab team.
This marks Iraq’s second-ever qualification for the World Cup, following their first appearance in the 1986 edition and Ahmed Radhi’s famous goal, ending a 40-year absence from the global tournament.
Iraq and DR Congo’s Groups in the 2026 World Cup
FIFA conducted the draw for the 2026 World Cup in Washington, D.C., last December, and the groups are now finalized following the conclusion of the intercontinental and European play-offs.
Iraq faces a challenging task, drawn into a group with last year’s runners-up, France, and the African champions, Senegal, along with Norway’s current generation of stars, including Erling Haaland and Martin Ødegaard.
DR Congo’s task appears relatively easier, as they are grouped with Portugal, Uzbekistan, and Colombia.
Teams Qualified for the 2026 World Cup via the European Play-offs
It’s worth noting that four teams secured their place at the 2026 World Cup on Tuesday through the European play-offs. Undoubtedly, the biggest surprise was Italy’s failure to qualify for the tournament for the third consecutive time.
Bosnia and Herzegovina qualified after defeating the Azzurri on penalties, and the Czech Republic joined them after also defeating Denmark on penalties.
On the other hand, Sweden secured their spot despite a poor qualifying record, defeating Poland 3-2. Finally, Turkey returned to the World Cup after a 24-year absence following a 1-0 victory over Kosovo.
