IFA targets World Cup spot for Iraqi referee

Shafaq News- Baghdad

The Iraqi Football Association (IFA) aims to have an Iraqi referee officiate at the 2030 FIFA World Cup finals, executive office member said on Friday.

Sabah Qasim, a former international referee and member of the IFA Executive Office, indicated that supporting referees and assistant referees and improving their skills and qualifications would be among the committee's top priorities to raise officiating standards in Iraq. He added that former referees would play an active role in developing the next generation, with the committee remaining open to all former international referees to benefit from their experience in training and mentoring young officials.

The IFA also plans to involve refereeing crews in development courses and training camps to improve their technical standards, increase their opportunities to officiate at regional, and continental competitions, and continuously assess their performance.

Iraq qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup for the first time since 1986 but exited at the group stage after losing all three matches against Norway, France, and Senegal.