Iqbal called up for the 2026 World Cup despite being a reserve player at FC Utrecht

 Zidane Iqbal, a footballer from Iraq, who played his last match in the first team of FC Utrecht on October 26, was called up for the World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the USA. Iqbal was moved by FC Utrecht coach Ron Jans to the reserve team, but the team is supposed to prepare him for the World Cup. "We want to give him this opportunity. He is at the age to play in teams like ours, and we want him to help us," said FC Utrecht reserve coach Mark Otten in April this year. Iqbal was moved to the reserves because Jans was not satisfied with Iqbal's involvement in training and matches. Since then, the Iraqi played eight more games in the Dutch second league. For Iraqi national team coach Graham Arnold, this was enough to include Iqbal in the 26-person squad for the World Cup. This squad does not include any well-known names in football. Apart from Iqbal, only three other draftees play in clubs from the so-called big leagues: Marko Farji (Venezia) and Ali Al-Hamadi (Luton Town). Four others who were called up played in the Netherlands, but are no longer there: Hussein Ali (SC Heerenveen in 2022-2025), Ali Jasim (loaned to Almere City FC in 2025), Youssef Amyn (played in the 2022/23 season for Feyenoord U-21) and Aimar Sher (loaned to FC Groningen in 2023).