Culture
World Cup: Iran fumes over LGBTQ+ themes as Jordan qualifies for first time
Morocco is hoping to build on its historic run in 2022, with Saudi Arabia, Egypt and others in the region similarly vying to build on recent successes.
A total of eight teams from the Middle East and North Africa have qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while Iraq and Turkey remain in contention as part of the 22 teams competing for the final six spots.
The world association football (soccer) body released the draw and schedule for the tournament during a ceremony in Washington on Saturday. The competition will take place in the United States, Canada and Mexico, with the first match scheduled for June 11.
The teams that have qualified from the region are Qatar, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Algeria and Jordan.
Iraq and Turkey will both compete in qualification tournaments in March.
