According to the Iraqi media, the Iraqi Football Association notified FIFA that given the current situation and the ongoing wars in the region, the Iraqi national team will not be able to travel to the venue for a whole month.
Affected by the war, Iraq will close its airspace for at least four weeks, so domestic players in Iraq cannot normally leave the country, and the Iraqi coach and medical team are also trapped in the UAE and Qatar, respectively. This will prevent the Iraqi national team from participating in the intercontinental World Cup play-offs scheduled for the end of this month, against the winner between Bolivia and Suriname.
A member of the Iraqi Football Association, said that he hopes FIFA can assess the current situation and consider postponing Iraq's World Cup play-offs or make other decisions that are more in line with the current situation.
He explained that, in view of the current tense situation and the ongoing wars in the region, FIFA President Infantino has informed the President of the Iraqi Football Association that important information will be released in the next few hours to resolve the matter.
The match between Iraq and the winner between Bolivia and Suriname was originally scheduled for March at the Monterrey Stadium in Mexico.