A host of Muslim nations have erupted into celebration after 12 succeeded in securing qualification to the 2026 World Cup competition, some of which haven’t competed in the major football tournament for decades.
Footage of passionate Muslim and Arab football fans celebrating in the streets went viral as their respective countries secured a place in the group stages for the World Cup, to be hosted by the US, Mexico and Canada between June 11 to July 19.
Turkiye, Iraq and Bosnia and Herzegovina were the latest to join the list after others had already bagged their spot following stronger performances in the qualification stages.
The list now includes Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Joran, Iraq, Bosnia and Herzogovina, Morocco, Egypt, Senegal, Tunisia, Turkiye and Iran.
Cities across Turkiye saw huge crowds gather in jubilation at the news following a tense 1-0 playoff win at Kosovo.
Turkiye rode their luck at times during the game at the Fadil Vokrri Stadium in Pristina, but emerged victorious thanks to a 53rd-minute goal from Kerem Akturkoglu, who poked the ball home from close range after Kenan Yildiz’s cross was turned into his path by Orkun Kokcu.
“Alhamdulillah. It has been 24 years. Some of us were not even born the last time we qualified, and some were too young to remember. We always dreamed of moments like this,” Akturkoglu told the Turkish media.
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“We talked about 2002 and the success there; we always dreamed of it. Most of us don’t even remember 2002. Now we will give the next generation something to dream about at the 2026 World Cup. We want to make our country proud,” he added.
Bosnia made the biggest headlines with a historic win against Italy in penalties, knocking the European football giants out of the competition.
Iraq also secured qualification after beating Bolivia 1-0, sparking huge roar of celebrations from the crowd. Scenes which continued throughout the night, with thousands rallying in central Baghdad to praise their teams success.
Iraq’s head coach Graham Arnold said the World Cup could change the perception of the country, after his side qualified for the tournament for the first time in 40 years.
Concerns over Islamophobia
Ami the success of a growing number of Muslim teams in the footballing world, concerns are growing that the competition will become plagued with racist and Islamophobic incidents similar to what occurred at the Qatar-hosted World Cup in 2022.
Catalan police said Wednesday they are investigating Islamophobic and xenophobic chants during a friendly football match between Spain and Egypt in Barcelona.
The chants were heard repeatedly from one section of the crowd during the pre-World Cup match, which ended in a draw and was attended by nearly 36,000 spectators.
During halftime, stadium screens displayed a message reminding spectators that participation in “violent, xenophobic, homophobic or racist acts” is prohibited and punishable under the law.
Some fans also jeered Egypt’s national anthem.
The Union of Islamic Communities of Catalonia expressed “outrage” and called for those responsible to be identified and sanctioned.
The incidents also drew widespread condemnation from Spanish politicians.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez deemed what happened in the match as “unacceptable,” which “must not be repeated.”
“We cannot allow an uncivil minority to tarnish the reality of Spain, a pluralistic and tolerant country,” he said in a post on the US social media platform X, adding the national football team and its fans are no exception to that.
“All my support goes to the athletes who suffered this, and my applause to those who, through their respect, help us to be a better country,” Sanchez added.
“Racist insults and chants embarrass us as a society. The far right will not leave any space free from their hatred, and those who remain silent today will be complicit,” Justice Minister Felix Bolanos said in a social media post Wednesday.
Conservative Popular Party spokesperson Ester Munoz also condemned the chants, calling them “lamentable and unacceptable.”
The far-right Vox party, however, doubled down on anti-Muslim rhetoric, with spokesman Ignacio Garriga saying: “What’s outrageous is that more stadiums are being used for Ramadan than for Spain’s national team to play in Catalonia. What’s outrageous is that Spaniards feel like foreigners in their own neighbourhoods.”
Police are working with prosecutors specialising in hate crimes to determine whether the incidents constitute a criminal offence, according to the Spanish news agency EFE.
If the case does not meet the threshold for criminal charges, authorities could pursue administrative sanctions under Spain’s laws against violence, racism and xenophobia in sports.
Iran: play or not to play
There has been mixed messages regarding the status of Iran’s team and whether they will play or boycott the 2026 World Cup.
Despite securing a spot, Iran has vowed not to travel and play at the competition amid an Israel-US war on the Islamic Republic.
In early March, Iran’s sports minister claimed Tehran’s national team will boycott the upcoming FIFA World Cup tournament after the United States assassinated its Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“Considering that this corrupt regime [the US] has assassinated our leader, under no circumstances can we participate in the World Cup,” Ahmad Donyamali told state television on Wednesday.
However, this week FIFA president Gianni Infantino flew to Turkey to watch Iran take on Costa Rica in a pre-World Cup friendly on Tuesday. Infantino insisted that Iran “will play at the World Cup” and that “everything’s fine”, despite the ongoing conflict.
The United States will co-host the World Cup with Canada and Mexico, but all of Iran’s group-stage matches have been scheduled to take place in American cities, including Los Angeles and Seattle.
Since the US and Israel struck Iran on February 28, thousands of people have been killed across the Middle East.
Those strikes triggered Iranian attacks on Israel, US bases and the Gulf states, while opening a new front in Lebanon.
Details and history
The following the list of teams from Muslim-majority countries that have qualified along with their past performances. Some of the nations playing in this years tournament have never qualified before, others have not seen World Cup action for decades.
Great report 👍🏼🎉💛
You forgot to mention Uzbekistan 🇺🇿
Thanks 🌹