New Delhi: Two days ago, when Norway and Iraq were playing their opening FIFA World cup match, Pakistanis cheered.
In the 59th minute, a 23-year-old midfielder named Zidane Iqbal stepped onto the pitch for Iraq. The substitution barely altered the course of the match. Norway won. Yet for many Pakistanis, it marked a historic first: a player of Pakistani heritage had appeared in a men’s FIFA World Cup match.
Pakistan itself was nowhere near the tournament. Ranked 198th in the world, the country has never qualified for football’s biggest stage. Now, in a complicated and unexpected way, they had a connection to it.
Born in Manchester to a Pakistani father from Sahiwal and mother from southern Iraq, Iqbal grew up carrying multiple identities. He was eligible to represent England, Pakistan or Iraq. He chose Iraq.
The moment immediately sparked celebration, pride, and a debate about identity in Pakistan after the Tuesday game.
The decision was shaped not by geography but by persistence. Iraqi football officials pursued him after learning of his heritage, holding conversations with both Iqbal and his family.
“All the love and support from the fans in Iraq and across the world and how hard the FA tried to bring me,” he told The Athletic. “When someone shows so much love, it’s only right that you feel it.”
‘Landmark moment’
Yet Iqbal’s World Cup appearance ignited celebration among many Pakistanis anyway. Pakistani sports journalist Faizan Lakhani hailed the milestone on X before Iraq’s opening match.
“History in the making at the FIFA World Cup as Iraq face Norway,” he wrote. “Zidane Iqbal is set to become the first player of Pakistani heritage to feature in a men’s World Cup match the moment he steps on the pitch.”
Lakhani also shared a photograph of Iqbal’s football boots: one displaying Iraq’s flag, the other Pakistan’s.
“A landmark moment for Pakistan, South Asian football, and a generation dreaming of seeing their roots represented on football’s biggest stage,” he added.
Football-focused Pakistani outlets joined in. “History was made last night when Zidane Iqbal became the FIRST Pakistan Origin player to feature at a FIFA World Cup match,” Inside Football Pakistan posted on X.
But not everyone was convinced that the moment belonged to Pakistan. As celebrations spread online, some users questioned why Pakistan was claiming credit for a player who neither represented the country nor developed within its football system.
“WTH does Pakistan have to do with this landmark moment?” Pakistani X user Sadat Younis wrote. “He is not representing Pakistan, and Pakistan neither helped nor supported him in reaching this achievement.”
Others pushed back. “Why does that mean now we can’t still celebrate them?” another user responded. “Zidane Iqbal is a British-born Pakistani-Iraqi. He’s never once spoken bad about Pakistan. He represents Pakistan and obviously Iraq very well. He is an inspiration to many British-born Pakistanis and Iraqis all over.”
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Regret and questions
The debate reflected bigger questions about diaspora identity, belonging, and representation. Did heritage alone create a connection, or did national representation matter more?
Even within Pakistan’s football community, the discussion carried a note of regret. FootballPakistan.com argued that the country’s newfound interest in Iqbal had arrived years too late.
“All this interest from Pakistani media on Zidane Iqbal now when he’s at the World Cup with another nation, where was this 5 years ago when he was coming through at Manchester United! He proudly talked about being Pakistani and one day playing for us, that’s when this attention was needed. Now he represents another team under another flag. Maybe turn the attention to those who we can attract in the near future,” they wrote.
Lakhani responded: “We said it back then, and we’ve consistently said it ever since: players developing in European systems can be a huge asset for Pakistan. Unfortunately, some people still seem unwilling to accept that diaspora players are just as Pakistani as anyone else. You can see it even with Zidane Iqbal. While the rest of the world is highlighting and talking about his Pakistani heritage, there are still people among us trying to downplay his connection to Pakistan.If we want to benefit from our global talent pool, the first step is accepting that Pakistani identity isn’t limited by where someone was born or developed as a footballer.”
Others pointed out how they have long supported him. One X user, Javeria Rana, said she had predicted in 2022 that “Zidane iqbal is goin to be the next messi/ronaldo level player!”
FootballPakistan pointed out the difference: “Iraq had government level involvement to get Zidane Iqbal. We had government level involvement in getting banned by FIFA.”
(Edited by Aamaan Alam Khan)