Baghdad: The Iraqi national football team continued its training on Saturday in the capital, Baghdad, in preparation for the upcoming playoff matches against the United Arab Emirates, as part of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Head coach Graham Arnold decided to call up player Hussein Ali to join the Lions of Mesopotamia squad as a replacement for Youssef Al-Amin, after medical reports from AEK Larnaca FC confirmed that Al-Amin has not fully recovered from his recent injury. According to National Iraqi News Agency, as a result, Youssef Al-Amin will miss Iraq's two playoff matches against the UAE in the Asian qualifiers.