Iraqi midfielder Zidane Iqbal is on the verge of making history as the first player of Pakistani origin to feature at a FIFA World Cup, 24NewsHD TV reported on Sunday.
The 21-year-old, born in England, chose to represent Iraq at the international level, the country of his mother, while his father is from Pakistan, giving the midfielder a dual heritage that has drawn growing attention in both South Asia and the Middle East.
Iqbal’s potential appearance on football’s biggest stage comes as Iraq eyes a long-awaited return to the World Cup after decades of frustration in qualifying campaigns.
The midfielder has already broken ground in club football, having become the first British South Asian player to represent Manchester United’s senior team.
Now, with Iraq pushing to reclaim its place among the world’s elite, Iqbal could be poised to add another chapter to that story by becoming the first Pakistani-origin footballer to play in the men’s World Cup 2026 to held this June.
For Iraq, the national team has endured years of setbacks and failed qualification attempts since its only previous World Cup appearance in 1986.