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Islamabad, Pakistan The score was read 4-1 to Norway. Iraq was a lot of beatings in their first World Cup match in 40 years. Manchester City striker Erling Haaland scored twice in his World Cup debut as Norway won Group I.
But for Pakistan, the results did not matter.
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When Zidane Iqbal crossed the path of Iraq at the Boston Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, in the 59th minute on Tuesday, history was made. He became the first player of Pakistani heritage to appear in the FIFA World Cup.
Pakistan’s national team has never participated in this tournament. It is ranked 198th in the FIFA rankings. Over the years, more than 250 million Pakistanis have watched football’s biggest events from abroad.
That changed, in its own difficult way, through a 23-year-old man born in Manchester, England.
Among the three tribes
Zidane Ammar Iqbal was born on April 27, 2003, to a Pakistani father and an Iraqi mother. His father, Aamar, is from the city of Sahiwal in Punjab while his mother, Ayat, was born in southern Iraq.
Growing up in Manchester, Iqbal was fit to represent England, Pakistan or Iraq. The decision he made in the end was not calculated.
Iraq found him the way most things do now: through social media.
A major Instagram account that follows Iraqis around the world contacted him to ask if the rumors about his heritage were true.
Word reached the Iraq Football Association, which tracked him down through a series of videos with Iqbal and his parents.
When asked by sports reporter The Athletic why he chose Iraq, Iqbal said: “All the love and support from fans in Iraq and around the world is what the FA tried to bring me.
He had not been to Iraq before receiving a 23-year-old call-up in 2021.
The cultural phenomenon, he admitted, was real. But he kept coming back. Little by little, the land that was once part of his heritage began to feel like home.
The road is not taken
Iqbal joined Manchester United’s academy at the age of eight and spent 12 years at the club. In December 2021 at the age of 18, he became the first British South Asian player in almost two decades to feature for United in the UEFA Champions League.
But regular first-team football never followed. He later moved to FC Utrecht in the Dutch Eredivisie for around 1 million euros ($1.1m).
His performances during Iraq’s difficult 21-game trial, including the winning goal against Indonesia, kept him central to the team’s thoughts throughout the season.
The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) took notice of his progress. But it wasn’t a real race.
Ali Ahsan, editor of FootballPakistan.com, said the difference between the two styles of football was huge.
“We are struggling to attract players from big clubs, our ranking, the lack of professionals. PFF still does not have a technical director or staff dedicated to the national team,” Ahsan told Al Jazeera.
“For Zidane, he chose Iraq to play big games, which he probably wouldn’t have done with Pakistan,” Ahsan said.
“If he had chosen Pakistan, he would have had a big problem in raising the profile of Pakistani football in the world. He was still at United at the time. He would have started talking about how football should be developed, encouraging the children to take it seriously. Iraq is an already established team with a history of commitment, structure and fans.”
For Iqbal, the path led elsewhere. But for Pakistan, the moment was still important.
“I believe there are kids — whether Asian, Arab, whatever you are — who watch and think they can,” Iqbal told The Athletic. It’s definitely possible, and if I did it, why wouldn’t they?
Iraq face France again on Monday before facing Senegal in their final group game on June 26. Few expect them to progress. But few expected that he would be there.
Against Norway, Iraq lost. For Pakistan, history was made anyway.
