Manchester-born midfielder Zidane Iqbal set to play for Iraq at 2026 World Cup

Uk reported. The 23-year-old midfielder, who plays for FC Utrecht, is scheduled to feature for Iraq on Tuesday. Iqbal was born and raised in Manchester.

His father was born in Pakistan, and his grandfather was a first-generation Pakistani. His mother is Iraqi. He told BBC Sport that he sent news of the milestone to his father immediately after learning of it.

"My dad is Pakistani. He's my father, the man I respect the most in my life, who helped me so much in my career," Iqbal said. "I play for Iraq, grew up in England, but my dad was born in Pakistan. " Iqbal wears the Iraqi flag on the left side of his boots and the Pakistani flag on the right side.

"I think that's because I respect both sides. When people ask me what I feel more connected to, I can't answer.

Iqbal came through Manchester United's academy and became the first British South Asian player in almost 20 years to appear in the UEFA Champions League. He said he hopes his participation will inspire young players. "I'm still young, but I'll be the first Pakistani player to play in the World Cup, so hopefully a few kids that aspire to be a footballer will look at that and believe they can do it too," he said.

Ahmed Shahzad, who runs the social media account Pakistani Talents, said every Pakistani football fan knows about Iqbal. "I see a lot of people saying that Pakistan now has a nation to support at the World Cup, and they won't be just backing Zidane Iqbal, they will be backing Iraq to go as far as they can in that tournament," Shahzad told BBC Sport.

Pakistan's national team has never qualified for a men's World Cup.