Iraq and DR Congo Enter Main Stage of World CupBolivia and Jamaica Fail in Intercontinental Play-offs

Iraq from the Asian continent and DR Congo from Africa have entered the 2026 World Cup as the final two teams. In the play-off matches held today, Iraq defeated Bolivia 2-1, and DR Congo triumphed over Jamaica with a 1-0 margin. With these results, the lineup for the 48-team World Cup is now complete.
The match held at Mexico’s Azteca Stadium became highly intense. Iraq took an early lead with a goal from Ayman Hussein in the 10th minute. Bolivia equalized in the 38th minute through Paniagua, making the game even more exciting. However, in the 53rd minute of the second half, Ayman Hussein scored the decisive goal again to secure the win. Iraq has qualified for the World Cup after a long gap of 40 years; their last appearance was in 1986.
On the other hand, DR Congo ended a 52-year wait to qualify for the World Cup. Their only previous appearance was in 1974 (as Zaire). In today’s match, Yoane Wissa scored the only goal for DR Congo in the 100th minute of the game. While DR Congo celebrated their return to the world stage, Jamaica was completely sidelined from the World Cup.