Thousands of Iraqis celebrate the return of the national team

On Saturday, thousands of Iraqis celebrated the return of the football team to the country after reaching the World Cup finals for the first time since 1986, despite the war that spread to Iraq more than a month ago.

On Wednesday, Iraq reached the World Cup finals, defeating Bolivia 2-1 in the Mexican city of Monterrey in the final of the second track of the international playoff, after obstacles that hindered its travel and preparations due to the war that began with an American-Israeli attack on Iran on February 28 and extended to Iraq and neighboring countries.

On Saturday morning, the team's players boarded an open-top bus in central Baghdad to greet thousands of fans, including children and women. The crowds carried Iraqi flags and set off fireworks to the sound of music and applause.

Hassan Khalifa told Agence France-Presse that the celebration on Saturday “will remain stuck in memory,” adding: “We continued to support our national team for 21 matches.”

He continued: “This qualification to the World Cup is the beginning of a new era in the history of Iraqi football, as we will soon see its impact on the reality of Iraqi sports.”

Because of the war, Iraq closed its airspace due to drone and missile attacks on various locations in the country, forcing the football team to travel hundreds of kilometers by land from Baghdad to Jordan, and then by air to Mexico, on a trip that took three days.