Iraq fans ‘proud’ and joyful despite World Cup loss to France

Despite a decisive 3-0 loss to France in their second World Cup match, Iraqi fans radiated pride and joy, celebrating their nation's return to the global stage after a 40-year hiatus. The atmosphere in Philadelphia Stadium was electric, with supporters traveling from various parts of the United States and beyond to witness the "Lions of Mesopotamia" compete.

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Seeing Iraq play in the World Cup is enough. The performance wasn’t too bad. The result was expected. France are on another level. At least the Iraqi players were not just playing long balls. They tried to build up an attack.

Ali Alkabasi, who first saw Iraq play at a World Cup on television as a teenager, expressed gratitude for witnessing the match live. "Seeing Iraq play in the World Cup is enough," he told Al Jazeera, adding that while the result was expected against a team like France, the performance was "not too bad." He noted the Iraqi players attempted to build attacks rather than resorting to long balls.

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We are living the dream. My homeland, Iraq, makes it to the World Cup finals in America, where I live. The dream for me is double. I am so happy and so excited. This is a matter of pride for the Iraqi people.

For many Iraqi fans, the team's participation is a "matter of pride" amidst decades of national adversity. Halah Maykhan, an Iraqi American who traveled from Wisconsin, described the experience as a "dream come true," amplified by the tournament being held in the US. "We are with this team no matter the results," she stated, acknowledging the team's lack of experience but expressing hope for their performance and for all Arab teams.

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We are with this team no matter the results. Although they lack experience, we are hoping they do well, and we’re hoping all Arab teams do well.

Even as France scored, including a powerful opening goal from Kylian Mbappe in the 14th minute, the Iraqi supporters maintained their fervent cheers and drumming. The team, despite the significant skill gap, attempted to maintain possession and play through France's press, rather than solely focusing on defense. Mohammed Abduljabbar, from Texas, echoed the sentiment of pride, acknowledging mistakes but also highlighting "beautiful plays" and thanking the players for the World Cup experience, calling the feeling "indescribable."

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Their performance was good. Yes, there were mistakes, but there were also some beautiful plays. We are proud of them, and we thank them for bringing us to the World Cup.