Iraq's Predicted Lineup to Face Senegal in the FIFA World Cup 2026

The Lions of Mesopotamia have already been eliminated from the FIFA World Cup 2026, but they still have one objective left to accomplish: earning the first World Cup victory in their history. The Asian side fought for years to return to football's biggest stage, and although the results did not go their way, they showed moments of quality football and a competitive spirit against opponents of the highest caliber.

The draw was not kind to Iraq, either. In their first two matches, they faced two of the strongest teams in Group I, Norway and France, both of whom used their superior experience and individual quality to secure the points. Even so, the team coached by Graham Arnold remained organized for long stretches of both matches and never stopped competing, although they lacked efficiency in both penalty areas.

Now they will have one final opportunity to end their tournament on a positive note. In a FIFA World Cup 2026 that has already produced several surprising results, Iraq will try to become another upset story by defeating Senegal, a team that must win to keep its hopes alive of advancing as one of the tournament's best third-place finishers.

Predicted Lineup for Iraq

Formation: 4-2-3-1

22 Ahmed Basil

3 Hussein Ali

4 Zaid Tahseen

5 Akam Hashim

23 Merchas Doski

24 Zaid Ismail

16 Amir Al-Ammari

11 Ahmed Qasem

14 Zidane Iqbal

8 Ibrahim Bayesh

18 Aymen Hussein (C)

Tactical Analysis of Iraq

Iraq is expected to stick with the 4-2-3-1 formation it has used throughout the group stage. The main priority will be maintaining defensive organization and minimizing the space between the lines, an approach that allowed the team to compete for long periods against France and Norway, even though costly defensive mistakes ultimately proved decisive.

The double pivot of Zaid Ismail and Amir Al-Ammari will be responsible for shielding the back line and winning possession quickly to launch counterattacks. In the attacking midfield role, Zidane Iqbal will be tasked with dictating play, using his vision and technical ability to connect with the wingers.

Out wide, Ahmed Qasem and Ibrahim Bayesh will look to use their pace to exploit any spaces left by Senegal, while Aymen Hussein will serve as the focal point in the box thanks to his physical strength and aerial ability.

The biggest challenge for the Asian side will be maintaining its intensity throughout the full 90 minutes. In its previous two matches, Iraq competed well for extended periods, but defensive lapses and a lack of attacking efficiency ultimately tilted the balance in favor of its opponents. Against a Senegal side expected to attack from the opening whistle, Iraq will look to capitalize on counterattacking opportunities and end its FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign with a historic result.