Iraq’s World Cup 2026 outright price sits at roughly +50000 at bet365, an implied chance of about 0.2 per cent. Jesus Casas has steered the Lions of Mesopotamia back to a finals for the first time since 1986, and the sportsbook board has them firmly in the long-shot tier. The honest read for a Canadian punter is that this page is about smaller, group-level markets and one or two stage-of-elimination angles, not the outright trophy.
Iraq’s tournament CV is thin compared with the contenders, and the qualification cycles since the 2007 Asian Cup triumph have leaned more on grit than on the kind of high-end talent the market needs to see before shortening any of these prices. The squad Casas brings to North America is balanced, organized and well-drilled, but the path is brutal.
You can run the full draw, kickoff slots in ET/CT/MT/PT, and venue list on the 2026 World Cup schedule page, with the official tournament centre at FIFA’s 2026 World Cup site.
Iraq odds to win the World Cup
Calling Iraq an outsider in this market understates it. At around +50000 to lift the trophy in New Jersey on July 19, they sit in the basement tier of the 48-team field, alongside the other nations the sportsbooks treat as essentially tournament tourists.
Only Curacao, Haiti and Jordan come back at longer prices on the bet365 board, which gives a clear sense of how the Canadian sportsbook market has graded Iraq’s ceiling. There’s no value angle on the outright; the play, if there is one, comes lower down the card.
Realistic ambition for Casas’s side is a maiden run into the knockouts. Iraq have played at exactly one previous World Cup, lost all three games in Mexico in 1986, and have never come this close to making the second round in their history. That is the bar.
Iraq odds to win Group I
Group I lands as one of the heavier draws on paper: France, Norway, Senegal and Iraq. The Canadian sportsbook view has Iraq fourth-favourites to top the section by some distance, with France carrying the shortest price and Norway’s Haaland-led attack second on the board. Senegal sit a tier above Iraq on outright group-winner markets.
The expanded 48-team bracket is the angle worth knowing. Third place in the group is enough to advance as one of the eight best third-placed sides, which keeps Iraq’s qualification scenarios alive deeper into matchday three than a straight 32-team format would.
Iraq stage of elimination odds
The sportsbook board on stage-of-elimination markets is yet to be fully posted, but the broad expectation across the Canadian market is a group-stage exit. Even with the third-place safety net, Iraq need a result from one of the two European sides to realistically chase qualification, and that is what the priced-in scenario looks like.
If you do want to play this market, the live prices on bet365 read as a function of Iraq’s matchday-one performance more than any squad-list talking point. Wait for the opening result before committing.
Iraq World Cup top goalscorer odds
No Iraqi name is priced in the top-goalscorer market, which is the correct read from the sportsbook side. The realistic ceiling for Iraq is one or two goals across the group stage, not the volume needed to trouble the Golden Boot leaderboard.
If a longshot punt does come into play, Al-Karma forward Aymen Hussein is the most plausible name. The 30-year-old has 33 goals from 93 international caps and is the team’s most reliable finisher, but the supply line behind him is thin and goals against France or Norway are unlikely to come in bunches.
Find the full World Cup top goalscorer market on the dedicated page here
Read more: FIFA World Cup Draw: Find out who will play who in 2026
Iraq at the 2026 World Cup: FAQs
Iraq are in Group I alongside France, Norway and Senegal. The draw was made in Las Vegas on 5 December 2025.
Iraq play three group-stage matches between 11 June and 27 June 2026, with venues confirmed by FIFA across the United States, Mexico and Canada. The round of 32 follows from 28 June to 3 July, the round of 16 from 4 to 7 July, and the quarterfinals from 9 to 11 July.
Jesus Casas is Spanish and took charge in 2022 after years as Luis Enrique’s assistant with the Spain national team.
Iraq’s odds to win the 2026 World Cup are around +50000 at bet365, an implied probability of about 0.2 per cent. Iraq sit in the outsider tier, alongside returning sides without modern tournament pedigree. For full market context see our World Cup 2026 winner odds page.
Iraq have only been to one previous World Cup, Mexico 1986, and lost all three matches. With the expanded 48-team format and Casas’s tactical groundwork, breaking that ceiling is Iraq’s most realistic shot in football history, though the Group I draw with France and Norway is demanding.
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