Zidane Iqbal Makes History as First Player of Pakistani Heritage at a FIFA World Cup

Pakistan has never qualified for a men’s FIFA World Cup. On June 16, it had a player on the pitch anyway.

Zidane Iqbal, a 23-year-old midfielder born and raised in Manchester, stepped onto the field in the 59th minute as a substitute for Iraq during their Group I match against Norway in Foxborough, Massachusetts, becoming the first player of Pakistani heritage to ever feature at a men’s World Cup. Iraq lost 4-1, with Erling Haaland scoring twice on his own World Cup debut, but the result barely registered against the significance of Iqbal’s appearance for a country of over 240 million people that has never come close to tournament qualification.

A Heritage He Didn’t Even Know He Was Making History With

Iqbal’s path to Iraq runs through his mother, Ayat, born in southern Iraq, while his father Aamar hails from Sahiwal in Punjab. Growing up eligible for England, Pakistan, or Iraq, his route to the Iraqi national team began almost accidentally — a social media account tracking Iraqis worldwide flagged rumors about his heritage, which eventually reached the Iraq Football Association and led to a series of video calls with Iqbal and his parents.

He told BBC Sport he genuinely didn’t know about the Pakistani-heritage milestone until he saw it posted online, immediately forwarding it to his father. Asked why he ultimately chose Iraq over Pakistan, he pointed to the overwhelming effort the Iraqi federation made to recruit him and the depth of support from Iraqi fans worldwide — a contrast to Pakistan’s far less developed football infrastructure.

Carrying Both Flags Literally

Iqbal wears the Iraqi flag on his left boot and the Pakistani flag on his right, a deliberate gesture honoring both sides of his family. He’s been explicit that representing Iraq doesn’t diminish his Pakistani identity, telling reporters he remains a proud Mancunian and a proud Pakistani regardless of which crest is on his jersey.

Why the Structural Gap Mattered

Football analysts following the story point to a stark numbers reality: Pakistan sits 198th in FIFA’s world rankings and has won only one qualifying match in its entire history, while Iraq, despite a 40-year World Cup absence since their sole 1986 appearance, fielded a much stronger footballing infrastructure and pursued Iqbal aggressively during a grueling 21-match qualification campaign — the most fixtures played by any qualifying nation. Ali Ahsan, editor of FootballPakistan.com, noted the gap between the two football systems was simply too wide for it to have ever been a genuine contest, even though the Pakistan Football Federation had been monitoring Iqbal’s progress.

A Career Built at Manchester United

Iqbal joined Manchester United’s academy at age eight and spent twelve years in the club’s youth system, becoming the first British South Asian player in nearly two decades to feature for United’s first team when he debuted in the Champions League in December 2021. Regular first-team football never materialized, and he moved to FC Utrecht in the Dutch Eredivisie for roughly $1.1 million, where his performances, including a decisive goal against Indonesia during World Cup qualifying, cemented his place in Iraq’s squad under coach Graham Arnold.

What This Means Beyond the Scoreline

Iqbal has been direct about the symbolic weight of his appearance, telling The Athletic he hopes children of any South Asian or Arab background watching him will believe similar paths are possible for them too. Pakistani football commentators describe the reaction inside the country as overwhelming, with diaspora communities and domestic fans treating his World Cup minutes as a watershed moment for a footballing nation still overshadowed by cricket.

Iraq face France next on Monday before closing their group campaign against Senegal on June 26. Whichever way that group finishes, Iqbal has already secured something no qualification run could have guaranteed Pakistan on its own: a presence, however brief, on football’s biggest stage.