New Delhi: Iraq announced the dismissal of head coach Jesus Casas on Tuesday with just two fixtures remaining in the Asian qualification race for the 2026 World Cup, which will take place in the US, Canada and Mexico. A statement was released by the Iraq Football Association to confirm the decision of sacking Casas.
The statement said that the decision was due to “ a serious breach of contractual obligations” from the Spaniard and his assistant, “including departure from Iraq without official permission…”
The federation added that they have taken the decision based on Article 14 of the FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players. The article states that a party may terminate a contract “without consequences…where there is just cause.”
🚨 JUST IN, OFFICIAL STATEMENT BY THE IRAQI FA: “The Iraqi FA has terminated coach Jesús Casas and his staff for a serious breach of contract, in line with Article 14 of FIFA regulations. FIFA has been formally notified to protect the Association’s legal rights.” pic.twitter.com/KT71CDycSs
— Iraq Xtra (@IraqXtra) April 15, 2025
There have been reports circulating in the local media that the federation made the decision following poor performance in World Cup qualifiers. The former assistant coach with the Spanish team was appointed in November 2022. In March, they drew 2-2 at home to Kuwait and just five days later, suffered a last-minute loss to Palestine side dropping out of the two automatic qualification places in the group.
Where does Iraq stand in the World Cup 2026 race?
Iraq is third in the table standings behind leader South Korea and Jordan. The two sides are the next opponents in June, which means that Iraq has to win both the fixtures if they want to progress to its first World Cup since 1986. The top two teams from each of the three groups will progress automatically in the draw in the third round of Asian qualification.
If they still manage to finish in the third or fourth place, then they can enter a further round of international qualification with six teams playing off for two more World Cup places.
iraq FA sacks coach Jesus Casas over contract breach ahead of crucial World Cup 2026 qualifiers against South Korea and Jordan. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
