Iraq’s Aymen Hussein celebrating a goal he scored against Vietnam.
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Iraqi striker Aymen Hussein suffered a hamstring injury in the 26 th minute of his team’s Group I match against France and may miss Iraq’s important final group stage encounter against Senegal as the squad battles for qualifying.
After his exit from the game, Ali al-Hamadi came in to replace the experienced forward.
Hussein’s possible absence for the Senegal game is a major setback for Iraq, since he has been their key striker, scoring the only goal in their group opener against Norway.
Iraq’s last group-stage encounter against Senegal is scheduled to take place on Friday at Toronto Stadium.
While Iraq cannot secure a top-two finish, with both France and Norway having six points, the team will still aim to earn its first World Cup point.
Iraq is participating in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, marking their impressive return to the tournament after a 40-year absence.
On March 31, 2026, the “Lions of Mesopotamia” defeated Bolivia 2-1 in the intercontinental play-off final, securing the tournament’s 48 th and last spot.