Iraq Fires Head Football Coach Casas Over What It Says Are Contract Breaches 

Jesus Casas. (AFP via Getty Images)

Iraq announced on Tuesday the dismissal of head coach Jesus Casas with just two games remaining in Asian qualification for the 2026 World Cup.

In a statement, the Iraq Football Association said that the decision was due to a "serious breach of contractual obligations," from the Spanish boss and his assistants, "including their departure from Iraq without official permission . . . "

The federation added the action was taken based on Article 14 of the FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfers of Players. This article states that a party may terminate a contract "without consequences . . . where there is just cause."

There have been reports in domestic media that the Iraq federation decided to dismiss Casas, a former assistant with the Spain national team and appointed in November 2022, in March following two disappointing World Cup qualification results against the bottom two teams in the six-team Group B.

Iraq drew 2-2 at home to Kuwait and five days later had a dramatic last-minute loss to the Palestinian team to drop out of the two automatic qualification places in the group.

Now the team is third behind leader South Korea and Jordan in second. Those two are the next opponents in June, meaning that Iraq has to win both to progress to its first World Cup since 1986.

The top two teams from each of the three groups in the third round of Asian qualification progress automatically to the tournament, to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

There is still hope if Iraq finishes in third or fourth place it will then enter a further round of international qualification with six teams playing off for two more World Cup places.