Iraq operates as an individual-led, direct attacking side. With Aymen Hussein responsible for 44% of their non-own-goal scoring, the team relies heavily on his clinical output to drive their transition-based approach. This reliance on individual brilliance often dictates their tempo, prioritizing directness over sustained possession.

Playing identity · system ↔ individual × direct ↔ possession

Iraq is plotted from possession share and top-scorer concentration. PPDA and recent form are supporting context when present.

+Recent form8 · 3W 2D 3L

2026-06-26World Cup 2026AIRQ 0-5 SENL

2026-06-22World Cup 2026AIRQ 0-3 FRAL

2026-06-16World Cup 2026HIRQ 1-4 NORL

2026-04-01World Cup 2026 qualifying · intercontinental playoffHIRQ 2-1 BOLW

2025-11-18World Cup 2026 qualifying · AFCHIRQ 2-1 UAEW

2025-11-13World Cup 2026 qualifying · AFCAIRQ 1-1 UAED

2025-10-14World Cup 2026 qualifying · AFCAIRQ 0-0 KSAD

2025-10-11World Cup 2026 qualifying · AFCHIRQ 1-0 IDNW

International friendly matches are excluded

N2 · Scoring

open play 95%

How they score

Iraq relies almost exclusively on open play to generate their scoring output. With a conversion rate significantly above the field average, their attacking rhythm is built on fluid movement rather than set-piece reliance. Aymen Hussein remains the focal point of this clinical approach, accounting for over a third of the team's total goals.

Goal source · share of play-type-classified goals

94.6%

Open play94.6%Corner5.4%

5% set piececorner + free kick

Effectiveness · conversion by source vs benchmark

Open play27%avg 20%+8 pts

35 goals from 129 shots.

Set piece3.0%avg 4.5%-1 pts

2 goals from 67 shots.

benchmark average higher than field by 3+ pts lower than field by 3+ pts

Goal-source shares use non-own-goal rows with source_class values; own goals are excluded.

+Top scorers · still a threat?100% intact

100% of listed scorer goals come from players still marked in the squad.

Aymen Hussein	in squad	15 · 37%
Mohanad Ali	in squad	4 · 10%
Ali Al-Hamadi	in squad	3 · 7%
Ali Jasim	in squad	2 · 5%

N3 · Conceding

open play 91%

How they concede

Iraq is overwhelmingly susceptible to goals originating from open play. With over 90% of their conceded goals occurring in open play, opponents may find success by prioritizing fluid attacking transitions. Their defensive structure remains significantly more resilient against set-piece opportunities.

Conceded goal source · share of play-type-classified goals

90.5%

Open play90.5%Corner9.5%

10% set piece concededcorner + free kick

Effectiveness · conceded conversion by source vs benchmark

Open play13%avg 20%-6 pts

19 conceded from 141 shots faced.

Set piece2.8%avg 4.5%-2 pts

2 conceded from 72 shots faced.

benchmark average lower than field by 3+ pts higher than field by 3+ pts

Conceded source shares use non-own-goal rows with source_class values.

N4 · Big moments

falls short · -1.27 GD residual

Better than their rating?

Iraq currently trends below their Elo-based expectations with a -1.27 goal difference residual. While the team demonstrates higher consistency than the field median, their performance in high-stakes matches has struggled to keep pace with the statistical baseline. Recent results suggest a vulnerability against stronger opposition that prevents them from bridging the gap between their rating and actual output.

Over-performance DNA · beats-its-rating × reliability, the tournament field

IRQTournament field · 48solid line = rating-neutral · dashed = field-median reliability100 Elo ~= -0.37 goals

+Biggest over- & under-performances23 matches

Residual = actual goal difference minus what the Elo gap predicted.

vs JPN · 2024-01-19	GD +1 vs exp -0.10	+1.10
vs BOL · 2026-04-01	GD +1 vs exp +0.78	+0.22
vs JOR · 2025-06-10	GD +1 vs exp +0.97	+0.03
vs SEN · 2026-06-26	GD -5 vs exp +0.23	-5.23
vs NOR · 2026-06-16	GD -3 vs exp -0.13	-2.87
vs PLE · 2025-03-25	GD -1 vs exp +1.74	-2.74