Soccer-Iraq should be proud of World Cup display despite early exit, says coach Arnold


Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup 2026 - Group I - Senegal v Iraq - Toronto Stadium, Toronto, Canada - June 26, 2026 Iraq coach Graham Arnold REUTERS/Benoit Tessier

TORONTO, June 26 (Reuters) - ⁠Iraq coach Graham Arnold said ⁠the country should be proud of ‌how its team played at the World Cup following their elimination from the tournamentafter a ​5-0 loss to Senegal ⁠on Friday.

• Arnold ⁠said his side performed well against high-profile players ⁠from ‌France, Norway and Senegal who they usually only see ⁠on television, saying, "Everyone in Iraq should ​be proud ‌of the fact that we made ⁠it here ​and we performed very well in two out of the three games."

• ⁠Iraq's red card in the ​13th minute led to the team's downfall against Senegal, the coach said.

• Arnold ⁠noted that many of the 12 goals they conceded at the tournament came from individual mistakes.

• The coach also ​said that leagues in ⁠the Middle East still have a ​lot of work to ‌do in order to ​improve player development.

(Reporting by Nicole Fernandes in TorontoEditing by Toby Davis)

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