Khaberni - Iraq's national team is set to face its Saudi counterpart today, Tuesday, at 9:45 PM, under the leadership of a Jordanian refereeing team headed by referee Adham Al-Makhadmeh, in the third and final round of the Asian qualifying playoffs for the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The "Lions of Mesopotamia" enter the match, which will take place at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, needing only a win to advance, while the "Green" team enters the match with the options of either winning or drawing to qualify for the World Cup, after the first round saw the "Green" team defeat Indonesia 3-2, and the second round ended with Iraq defeating Indonesia with a single goal.
In terms of the technical confrontation between the Saudi team's French manager, Hervé Renard, and the Iraqi team's Australian coach, Graham Arnold, Renard clearly has the upper hand. Renard previously recorded one win and one draw in direct encounters with Arnold during the qualifiers for the 2022 Qatar World Cup, while the Australian coach has yet to achieve any victory over the Frenchman to date, reflecting Renard's tactical experience advantage. Renard hopes to repeat his historical achievement by leading the "Green" to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, having already contributed to their qualification for the previous edition, becoming the first coach to achieve this with the Saudi team.
On the other hand, the historical record of encounters between Saudi Arabia and Iraq, according to the official website of the Football Statisticians' Association, reveals Iraq's advantage, having won 18 encounters compared to Saudi Arabia's 12 victories, with seven draws between the teams. These historic numbers highlight the significant challenge faced by Renard in the match against the "Lions of Mesopotamia," as the game combines modern tactical experience and Iraq's extensive historical record, making the match a highly anticipated summit in the race to qualify for World Cup 2026.
