India, June 16 -- After 40 years since their solitary appearance on football's biggest stage in Mexico, Iraq has finally broken the curse to qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2026. After a gruelling qualifying cycle that ended with a historic intercontinental playoff victory against Bolivia, the Lions of Mesopotamia have captured the imagination of the nation. Iraq now in a formidable Group I with global heavyweights France, Norway and Senegal, arrive as fierce, unpredictable underdogs determined to do much more than just make up the numbers.

The Sunday Guardian spoke to Pablo Grandes about the tactical and structural changes behind this monumental rise. Between 2022 and 2024, Grandes was Iraq's chief match analyst and assistant coach to Je...