ShafaqNews- Madrid
Therecent 2-0 defeat to Venezuela offered the Iraqi national football teamimportant technical and physical takeaways, including improved match sharpnessand a fully fit roster, Iraq head coach Graham Arnold noted on Wednesday.
Speakingto reporters after the match, Arnold described the encounter as a valuabletest, providing a solid assessment for the squad despite the result. He alsounderlined that Iraq completed the game without injuries, calling it one of thekey positives of the international window during preparations for the 2026World Cup.
Heattributed Venezuela’s two goals to individual mistakes, stressing the need tocut down on such errors as the team continues its buildup toward upcomingcompetitive fixtures.
Withtoday’s game, Iraq concluded its training camp in Spain, which included a 1–0win over Andorra and a 1–1 draw with Spain. The “Lions of Mesopotamia” willreturn to the World Cup in 2026 for the first time in 40 years, following theironly previous appearance in 1986. Iraq has been drawn in Group I alongsideFrance, Senegal, and Norway, with their opening match set for June 17.