MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has begun granting visas to players from Iraq’s national team ahead of the World Cup intercontinental qualifier scheduled March 31 in Monterrey.
The Iraqi team is facing logistical issues because of disruptions caused by the Iran war.
“On March 8, some players were processed at the Mexican Embassy in Saudi Arabia, and tomorrow other people are scheduled to be processed at the Embassy in Qatar,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported in a statement late Monday.
The government did not specify the names or how many players were granted visas.
Iraq is set to face the winner of the match between Suriname and Bolivia for a spot in the World Cup.
Iraq head coach Graham Arnold has asked FIFA to postpone the intercontinental qualifier. With Iraqi airspace closed, Arnold’s squad — containing predominantly players from the domestic league — is unable to fully gather.
Mexico does not have an embassy in Iraq.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs added that it is in contact with the Iraqi Embassy in Mexico and that they are willing “to provide all necessary assistance in documenting the members of the Iraqi national team."
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
Only subscribers can view and post comments on articles.
Already a subscriber? Login Here
All are invited to attend this silent, unprogrammed meeting where we listen for the spirit o… Read moreSan Mateo Quakers
Exclusive film screening in San Mateo Read moreA LITTLE FELLOW: THE LEGACY OF A.P.GIANNINI
delynsimons said:
CA Is Burning said:
NOTHING the government will do will alleviate traffic. This is simply a way to line the pockets of the unions and our government officials.
Dirk van Ulden said:
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.