Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Iraqi national football team dropped to 57th globally in the latest live FIFA World Rankings, following their 2-0 friendly defeat against Venezuela in Chicago on Wednesday, June 10, 2026. The live points deduction saw Iraq swap places with Qatar, who utilized a tactical draw against El Salvador to advance into the 56th position, edging out the “Lions of Mesopotamia” by a razor-thin points margin.
Prior to the Venezuela fixture, head coach Graham Arnold’s squad had been on a steady upward trajectory in the live tables. Iraq had gained significant ranking points following a highly praised 1-0 victory over Andorra and a historic 1-1 draw against Spain in A Coruña. However, the loss to Venezuela triggered an immediate live penalty of five ranking points, erasing those recent gains and allowing Qatar to leapfrog them.
Despite the minor international slide, Iraq’s structural standing within the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) remains stable. The national team safely holds its position as the 7th highest-ranked team in Asia, comfortably trailing the continent’s elite powerhouses, where Japan continues to command the absolute number-one spot in the regional hierarchy.
FIFA’s live ranking engine updates team coefficients immediately following the conclusion of any senior international friendly or official match. These real-time calibrations will serve as the definitive final seeding data before the 2026 FIFA World Cup officially kicks off in North America over the coming days, where Iraq will look to reclaim its ranking momentum in Group 9 matches against Norway, France, and Senegal.
