Shafaq News – Baghdad
On Friday, Iraq climbed to 57th in FIFA’s October rankings, overtaking Saudi Arabia to rank 7th in Asia.
Iraq now holds 1,428.7 points, while Japan, Iran, South Korea, Australia, and Qatar lead the Asian standings.
The rise follows a 1–0 win over Indonesia in World Cup 2026 qualifiers and marks fresh momentum under new coach Graham Arnold, who is pushing for Iraq’s first World Cup appearance since 1986.