Iraq Squad Arrives in Monterrey After Overland Journey via Jordan — Ready for Bolivia Final

Iraq's national football squad completed an arduous multi-leg journey and arrived in Monterrey on March 30 for the intercontinental playoff final against Bolivia on March 31 at Estadio BBVA. Regional airspace closures linked to the ongoing US-Israeli military operations against Iran forced players based inside Iraq to travel overland to Jordan, then fly by charter from Amman via Lisbon before landing in Monterrey just after midnight. Iraq were seeded directly into the final after earning the AFC intercontinental playoff slot. The winner of the Bolivia vs Iraq final enters World Cup Group I alongside France, Senegal, and Norway — one of the tournament's most challenging brackets. For Bolivia, a win would mark their first World Cup appearance since 1994. Iraq's dramatic travel story dominated coverage across Arabic-language media and FIFA's own social channels ahead of the match.