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Iraq’s national football team has been assured they will not have to play on a damaged pitch when they face Spain in an upcoming friendly match.

Several national teams are conducting warm-up matches ahead of the 2026 World Cup, including Iraq and Spain.

The two sides are scheduled to meet on Thursday, 4 June 2026, at Riazor Stadium.

However, just two days before the match, the stadium’s condition was far from ideal.

Reports indicated that as many as 15 sections of the venue were damaged.

Many seats were missing, patches of grass had been uprooted or burnt, one goalpost was broken, and shards of glass were scattered across the stands.

The chaos erupted after Deportivo La Coruna supporters invaded the pitch to celebrate their team’s promotion to the top division of the Spanish League.

Nevertheless, as the visiting side, Iraq need not worry about playing on a substandard field.

According to COPE, Deportivo officials have guaranteed that the stadium will be fully restored and in perfect condition on match day.

The Team That Shattered Indonesia’s Dreams

Iraq was the team that crushed Indonesia’s hopes of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.

The Lions of Mesopotamia defeated the Garuda squad in the fourth round of the Asian Qualifiers.

A lone goal from Zidane Iqbal secured a 1-0 victory for Iraq, allowing them to advance as the runner-up of Group B.

Following that, Iraq overcame the United Arab Emirates with an aggregate score of 3-2 in the fifth round.

Their qualification for the 2026 World Cup finals was confirmed after a 2-1 win over Bolivia in the inter-confederation playoff.

Meanwhile, Indonesia failed to advance to the tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico after their loss to Iraq.

Jay Idzes and his teammates were eliminated after finishing third in Group B of the fourth qualifying round.

Before being beaten by Iraq, Indonesia had also suffered a defeat against Saudi Arabia.