World Cup 2026: Iraq returned, but it will take years to bridge the gulf with football's elite
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Source: Middle East Eye
Published: 2026-07-09 21:01 UTC+10:00
Section: General
Factuality Score: 100
Opinion Category: Neutral
Topics: Sport, Middle East, World News
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Snippet:
Iraq ended a 40-year wait and returned to football's biggest stage this summer, but the scale of their World Cup defeats showed just how far they still have to go to compete with the game's elite nations.
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