​Iranian Media: Iraq FA Has Informed FIFA It May Be Unable to Play World Cup Playoff as Scheduled

March 7 – According to Iraqi local media *Mawazin News*, the Iraqi Football Association notified FIFA on Friday local time that, due to the current regional tensions, the Iraqi national team may be unable to participate in the World Cup playoff, originally scheduled for the end of this month, for the foreseeable future.

The report states that Ghalib Al-Zamili, a member of the Iraqi FA, indicated that due to the impact of the current situation, the Iraqi team might be unable to travel to the match venue for up to a month. Consequently, the association has reported the relevant circumstances to FIFA. It is anticipated that FIFA will now assess the current situation and consider whether to postpone Iraq's World Cup playoff or make other decisions in line with the realities on the ground.

Al-Zamili also revealed that FIFA President Gianni Infantino has informed the President of the Iraqi FA that an important communication will be issued within the next few hours to facilitate a prompt resolution of this matter, with the relevant decision also taking the current regional tensions into account.

According to the original schedule, the Iraqi team was set to face the winner of the match between Bolivia and Suriname on March 31st at the Estadio BBVA in Monterrey, Mexico, for a place in the World Cup playoff. However, under the influence of the current situation, whether this match can proceed as planned remains subject to FIFA's final confirmation.

Source: Mawazin News