Zidane Iqbal Makes History as First Pakistani-Descent Player in FIFA World Cup[TITLE]

Islamabad, Pakistan – Despite a 4-1 defeat to Norway in their opening World Cup match, Iraq delivered a historic milestone that transcended the result. With Erling Haaland scoring twice in his World Cup debut, Norway secured a convincing victory in Group I, but for Pakistan, the significance lay elsewhere.

When Zidane Iqbal entered the game in the 59th minute at Foxborough Stadium, he made history as the first player of Pakistani heritage to appear in a FIFA World Cup. This moment represented a monumental achievement for Pakistan, whose national team has never qualified for the tournament and sits 198th in FIFA rankings.

Born in Manchester in 2003 to a Pakistani father from Sahiwal and an Iraqi mother from southern Iraq, Iqbal represented a unique intersection of three nations. His decision to represent Iraq came through social media—discovered by an Instagram page tracking Iraqis worldwide—which led to formal approaches from the Iraq Football Association via video calls with Iqbal and his parents.

“All the love and support from the fans in Iraq and across the world and how hard the FA tried to bring me—it’s only right that you feel it,” Iqbal explained to The Athletic, explaining his choice over Pakistan or England.

My alma mater joined Manchester United’s academy at eight, spending 12 years at the club. His breakthrough came in December 2021 at age 18, becoming one of the few British South Asian players in nearly two decades to feature in the UEFA Champions League. However, regular first-team opportunities remained limited, leading to a move to FC Utrecht in the Dutch Eredivisie for approximately €1 million.

His consistent performances during Iraq’s demanding 21-match qualification campaign, including a decisive goal against Indonesia, secured his central role in the team’s World Cup preparations. While the Pakistan Football Federation monitored his progress, structural disparities between the football systems made Pakistan an impractical option.

“We’re struggling to attract players from bigger clubs, our ranking, the lack of a professional set-up,” explained Ali Ahsan of FootballPakistan.com. “The PFF still has no technical director or dedicated recruitment staff. For Zidane, he picked Iraq to be able to play major tournaments, which he probably wouldn’t have gotten with Pakistan.”

Ahsan noted that Iqbal’s choice to represent Iraq meant missed potential for Pakistani football: “Had he chosen Pakistan, he could have had a big impact on raising Pakistani football’s profile internationally. He was still at United at the time. He could have started a serious conversation about how football needs to be improved, inspired kids to take it more seriously.”

Regardless of his path, Iqbal’s presence in the World Cup has already made an impact. “I hope there are children—whether Asian, Arab, whatever you are—who watch that and think they can do it,” he told The Athletic. “It’s definitely possible. And if I’ve done it, why can’t they?”

Iraq faces France on Monday and Senegal in their final group match on June 26, with advancement unlikely. Yet their mere presence at the World Cup represents a remarkable achievement for a nation that has never before reached football’s elite stage.

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