Ayman Hussein, striker for the Iraqi national team and Al-Karma Club, brought back memories of his historic statement following the Lions of Mesopotamia’s qualification for the 2026 World Cup, which is set to take place in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Ayman Hussein led the Iraqi national team to a 2-1 victory over Bolivia by scoring the winning goal early on Wednesday morning in the World Cup play-off.
The Iraqi national team has qualified for the World Cup for the second time in its history, and the first time in 40 years, having last participated in the 1986 tournament in Mexico, where they were eliminated in the group stage after three defeats at the hands of Mexico, Belgium and Paraguay.
The Iraqi national team has been drawn in Group I for the 2026 World Cup, alongside France, Senegal and Norway.
Following the Lions of Mesopotamia’s qualification, Ayman Hussein posted an old video on his official Instagram page of a television interview dating back to 2017, in which he said: “My goal is to lead Iraq to the World Cup.” When asked about his ability to achieve this, he replied: “God willing, if God wills it.”
Ayman Hussein commented on his old statement, saying: “A son of Iraq, if he makes a promise, he keeps it; if he speaks, he speaks the truth; and if he rises, he shakes the earth from beneath the feet of despair.”
He added: “Congratulations to all Iraqis; this joy is your long-awaited right… May God have mercy on our righteous martyrs.”
After the Bolivia match, Ayman Hussein told the media: “We have qualified for the World Cup; this is the fruit of the tremendous efforts made by the players and the fans throughout the qualifying campaign. This achievement deserves to be celebrated nationwide.”
He continued: "We dedicate this victory and qualification to our loyal fans, and we call for today to be declared a public holiday to celebrate this historic achievement."
He explained: “We played 21 matches during the qualifying campaign, and thank God we managed to qualify for the World Cup, which is a long-awaited achievement and has been a priority for us in recent years.”
He concluded his remarks by saying: “All the players showed great commitment on the pitch; we played as a united team and did not need any extra motivation, because everyone was aware of the importance of the match and the weight of the responsibility resting on their shoulders. Thank God, we succeeded.”