Video: Arnold’s urgent call to Iraqi fans.. What did he say?

Iraq coach Australian Graham Arnold has urged Iraqi fans in the United States of America to support the Mesopotamian Lions in their final friendly against Venezuela in the early hours of next Wednesday as part of preparations for the 2026 World Cup finals.

Arnold said in a video posted on the official website of the Iraqi national team. “I welcome all Iraqi fans. We are here in Chicago and we feel very excited and continue our preparations for the Venezuela match.”

The Australian coach added: “To all the Iraqi fans in America who gave us tremendous support during the match against Bolivia at the Monterrey Stadium in Mexico that witnessed our historic World Cup qualification, we need your support again.”

He continued in an enthusiastic tone. We look forward to seeing you in Venezuela. All the best to player #12, keep supporting us.”

Confrontation time

The Iraq-Venezuela friendly match will take place at dawn on Wednesday, June 10, at Chicago’s CityGeek stadium, at four o’clock in the morning Baghdad and Mecca time.

The clash comes as a final test for both teams before the start of the 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico.

Honorable mention against Spain

The Iraqi team had a respectable result from their last friendly match against Spain, where the match ended in a positive draw (1-1), a strong performance that boosted the Mesopotamian Lions’ confidence ahead of the World Cup.

The fire brigade is waiting for Iraq

Iraq are in Group Ninth at the 2026 World Cup, along with Norway, Senegal and France, in a big challenge against an Asian team that is looking for a historic achievement in its first World Cup appearance in decades.