With 39 days until the 2026 World Cup, we revisit Iraqi striker Ahmed Radhi Saeed’s historic goal against Belgium at the 1986 Mexico World Cup.
Iraq were making their first-ever World Cup appearance and had lost both of their opening group matches. In their final game against Belgium, Saeed rose to meet a cross with a powerful header that found the back of the net, scoring Iraq’s first and only World Cup goal to date.
Although Iraq lost the match 2-1 and were eliminated, Saeed’s goal remains a landmark moment in Iraqi football history. It stands as a symbol of the nation’s brief but memorable appearance on football’s grandest stage.
