After a 43-hour, war-threatened 12,000km journey, the Lions of Mesopotamia face Bolivia in Monterrey with a first World Cup appearance in 40 years at stake — and a nation’s hopes on their shoulders.
MONTERREY, Mexico — They arrived after a 43-hour odyssey across continents, their journey nearly undone by war. But when the Iraqi national team finally touched down in Mexico, they found something unexpected: a homecoming.
As Iraq prepares to face Bolivia on Tuesday in a playoff final that would secure the nation’s first World Cup finals appearance in 40 years, the Lions of Mesopotamia have been embraced not just by their own passionate diaspora, but by thousands of Mexican fans who have adopted them as their own.
“I’ve traveled to seven different countries to watch Iraq games but I’ve never seen anywhere like Mexico, in the way they’ve embraced Iraqi fans and supported us,” Hassanane Balal of the Iraq Football Podcast told Arab News.
“People have been incredibly welcoming and friendly, and the atmosphere has felt very safe, despite what you might see on social media.”
A journey through chaos
At the beginning of March, Iraq’s World Cup dream was thrown into turmoil. The outbreak of a regional war involving the US, Israel, and Iran caused airspace closures and embassy shutdowns, threatening to make the already daunting 12,000-kilometer trip to Mexico impossible.
The team eventually found a way: first by bus to Jordan, then on a FIFA-funded flight to Monterrey via Lisbon.
“At one point, there were question marks over whether this game would go ahead, but Iraq is now in Mexico and there is still one match to play,” said Hassanin Mubarak, a prominent Iraqi football writer.
A wave of Mexican support
Within a week of their arrival, the Iraqi national team’s official social media accounts began posting in Spanish in response to the outpouring of support. Iraq shirts became highly sought after. Children across Monterrey began chanting for Iraq. Messages of encouragement flooded online platforms.
“Unfortunately, the media often portrays Iraq negatively internationally. But through football, we want people to see the real beauty of Iraq,” Balal said.
Football as a beacon of hope
For much of Iraq’s World Cup history, the national team has existed against a backdrop of conflict. Home matches inside Iraq have been rare — yet the country’s passion for the game has never dimmed.
“Qualifying in these circumstances would be seen as the norm in Iraqi football history,” Mubarak said, noting that when Iraq qualified in 1986, the country was in the midst of an eight-year war with Iran.
That campaign marked Iraq’s only World Cup appearance to date, ending with three narrow defeats in the group stage — also in Mexico.
Balal believes that qualifying now could transform how the world sees his country.
“It would be a huge achievement for the national team and a real honor for the country; a chance for Iraq to be on the global stage for something positive,” he said.
Football has long provided moments of light during dark times for Iraqis — from the national team’s historic AFC Asian Cup triumph in 2007 to Karim Saddam’s late goal against the UAE that secured qualification for the 1986 finals.
That spirit is reflected in the Iraqi fans who have traveled from around the globe — Europe, Canada, the United States, and directly from Iraq — to be in Monterrey.
“That really shows how big this match is for us and how excited everyone is,” Balal said.
Mubarak added: “For the majority of Iraqi fans, football is part of life, and a victory will be a moment to celebrate.”
Forty years after their first World Cup adventure ended in Mexico, Iraq has returned to the same country — this time chased by a dream, and carried by an unexpected wave of local support.
