Iraq have long sports betting odds to progress beyond the group stage at this summer’s World Cup. There are plenty of names in Iraq’s World Cup squad that won’t be familiar, even to the most obsessive football fans.
This summer’s tournament marks Iraq’s second-ever World Cup appearance and their first since 1986. They lost all three matches on their previous World Cup outing and they'll be up against it this summer after being drawn in the same group as France, Norway and Senegal.
What is the average salary for Iraq players?
Ten of Iraq’s 26-man World Cup squad play in the Iraq Stars League. Among the 16 playing outside of Iraq, there aren’t many that will be on significant salaries by the scales of modern football.
As a result, the average salary in the Iraq World Cup squad is thought to be less than £5,000 per week. There is limited information about the wages for the top Iraqi footballers.
Who are the top earning players for Iraq?
Mohanad Ali is one of the few Iraq players with a publicly reported salary. Mohanad is thought to be on just under £10,000 per week. Marko Farji, who plays for Venezia in Italy, is on around £5,000 per week.
Getting a read on the highest-earning Iraqi footballers isn’t straightforward. Unlike other World Cup-competing nations, the highest-profile players in the Iraq squad don’t necessarily have their salaries reported publicly.
How much does the Iraq manager earn?
Graham Arnold is on around £800,000 per year as Iraq manager. Arnold had two stints in charge of Australia, and succeeded Jesús Casas as Iraq manager in May 2025.
A former forward, Arnold’s managerial career began back in 1989. He will turn 63 this summer.
