Iraq's Zidane Iqbal to make history for Pakistan at World Cup

When Zidane Iqbal steps onto the pitch for Iraq at the 2022 World Cup, he will make history not just for his team but for Pakistan — a nation of more than 240 million people that has never had a player in the men's tournament. The former Manchester United prospect, who represents Iraq through his mother, is the first player of Pakistani heritage to play in a men's World Cup.

A historic moment for Pakistan

Pakistan, the fifth most populous country in the world, has never qualified for a World Cup. Its national team has won only one qualifying match in its entire history and sits 198th in the FIFA world rankings, among the 15 worst-performing nations. Until now, no player of Pakistani origin had ever appeared on the sport's biggest stage.

Iqbal, 23, was born and raised in Manchester. His father is Pakistani, and his mother is Iraqi. He came through Manchester United's academy and made his senior debut for the club, also becoming the first British South Asian in nearly 20 years to play in the UEFA Champions League.

'Surprised' by the honour

Iqbal told BBC Sport he was unaware of the significance until he saw a social media post. "To be honest, I didn't even know it myself," he said. "I followed the account that posted it and sent it to my dad straight away. I think we were both surprised. When I tried to qualify for the World Cup with Iraq, I didn't think of anything like this."

He added: "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. I play for Iraq, grew up in England, but my dad was born in Pakistan. My grandad was a first-generation there, so I have a lot of respect for that side of my family."

Flags on his boots

Iqbal wears both countries' flags on his boots during matches. "I wear the Iraqi flag on my left side and the Pakistani flag on my right side," he explained. "I think that's because I respect both sides. When people ask me what I feel more connected to, I can't answer. For me, they're both equal. It's about respect and something I carry with a lot of pride."

Inspiring the next generation

Iqbal hopes his journey will encourage young players from diverse backgrounds. "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, because football is a hard journey," he said. "A lot of commitment and hard work is needed. So hopefully when kids see people trying to be a professional footballer, or me, they see those of South Asian heritage or even of any heritage, that you can make it from any background, any area, wherever you're from, any religion."

Ahmed Shahzad, who runs the social media account Pakistani Talents, said: "Every Pakistani football fan knows about Zidane Iqbal. Historically, there's been very little Pakistani representation at the top level of football, especially on the global stage like the World Cup — the highest global stage."