Iraq loses 2-0 to Venezuela in final World Cup warm‑up

Iraq concluded its final preparations for the FIFA World Cup with a 2-0 defeat to Venezuela in an international friendly on Tuesday, June 9, at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois. The match, which kicked off at 8:00 p.m. local time, served as the last warmup for Iraq before its first World Cup appearance in 40 years.

Venezuela, which did not qualify for the tournament, took control of the match early. Midfielder Cristian Casseres opened the scoring in the 17th minute with a close-range finish. Shortly after halftime, Casseres won possession and set up striker Jesus Ramirez, who dribbled past a defender and fired in a powerful shot to double the lead. Iraq’s challenges were compounded in the 72nd minute when forward Ali Youssef was shown a straight red card, forcing his team to finish the match with 10 men.

Despite the loss, Iraq now turns its focus to the World Cup, which begins on Thursday. The team qualified for the expanded 48-team tournament by defeating Bolivia in an intercontinental playoff. This marks Iraq’s return to the finals for the first time since its only previous appearance in 1986.

Iraq has been drawn into a difficult Group I alongside France, Senegal, and...