Iraq's Zidane Iqbal becomes the first player of Pakistani origin at a World Cup

Pakistan, a country of over 200 million people, has never come close to qualifying for a FIFA World Cup. The sport barely registers against cricket’s cultural dominance. Yet a 23-year-old midfielder born in Manchester, with a Pakistani father and an Iraqi mother, just made history for both nations at once.

Zidane Iqbal’s inclusion in Iraq’s squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup makes him the first footballer of Pakistani origin to participate in the tournament. It’s a quietly seismic moment for South Asian football, a region that has produced exactly zero World Cup players relative to its population of nearly two billion people.

From Manchester United to the global stage

Iqbal’s football education started at Manchester United’s academy, where he carved out a distinction that still feels underappreciated. He became the first British-born South Asian to make an appearance for the club in European competition.

Born in Manchester, Iqbal was technically eligible to represent three different nations at the international level: England, Iraq through his mother, and Pakistan through his father. He chose Iraq, making his senior debut in January 2022 during the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.

He’s currently plying his trade at FC Utrecht in the Dutch Eredivisie after leaving the Manchester United academy, seeking more consistent playing time.

Iraq’s World Cup return and Iqbal’s role

Iraq’s qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, is itself a significant achievement. Iraqi football has endured decades of instability, conflict, and administrative dysfunction.

Iqbal scored his first international goal for Iraq in March 2024, finding the net against the Philippines during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Media coverage between April and June 2026 has increasingly focused on Iqbal’s dual heritage. His story touches on immigration, identity, and the way sport can bridge communities that might otherwise have little connection to each other.

What this means for South Asian football

South Asia is home to roughly a quarter of the world’s population. The region has produced a combined total of zero World Cup appearances across all its national teams: Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, none of them. The closest any South Asian nation came was India’s qualification for the 1950 World Cup, which they famously withdrew from.

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