Former Subway Socceroos boss Graham Arnold has been appointed head coach of the Iraq national team, with recently departed Newcastle Jets coach Rob Stanton set to take up a role within Arnold’s coaching staff.
Arnold, the longest-serving coach in Socceroos history, led Australia for six years from 2018 to 2024 and oversaw the 2022 World Cup campaign in which the Socceroos reached the Round of 16.
The former Central Coast Mariners and Sydney FC coach takes over from Spaniard Jesus Casas as Iraq’s new leader amid the qualifying campaign for the 2026 World Cup.
The Lions of Mesopotamia are currently third in Group B in the third round of Asian Football Confederation qualifying for the 2026 tournament; Arnold’s first two fixtures in charge of Iraq will take place in early June against South Korea and Jordan.
Joining Arnold in the Iraq coaching staff is former Jets coach Stanton, whose two-season stint in charge of Newcastle came to an end last week. Stanton’s Jets finished ninth on the Isuzu UTE A-League table, missing out on a spot in the top six and the Finals Series.
