Iraq FA offers coach four-year renewal deal

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq national team head coach Graham Arnold will arrive in Baghdad next week to sign a new four-year contract after the squad’s FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign, a source at the Iraq Football Association (IFA) told Shafaq News on Friday.

The agreement will include an annual performance review tied to Iraq’s results in official competitions. Worth $1 million per year, it will include a clause allowing the IFA to terminate the deal if the agreed targets are not met.

The federation has set positive results in the Gulf Cup and Asian Cup as priorities for the first year of the contract, before moving toward the longer-term objective of qualifying for the next World Cup.

Arnold took charge of Iraq in May 2025, replacing Spaniard Jesus Casas at a sensitive stage of World Cup qualifying, and later led the national team back to the tournament for the first time since 1986. However, Iraq’s return to the World Cup ended in the group stage, with three defeats, no points, and a heavy 5-0 loss to Senegal in their final match.

Despite the early exit, the IFA is moving to renew confidence in the Australian coach, seeking technical stability after the qualification campaign while addressing the problems exposed during the tournament.

The source explained that the federation wants to build on Iraq’s World Cup return while correcting the defensive, physical, and technical gaps that appeared against stronger opponents.