Al Riyadh’s Ibrahim Bayesh stands on the precipice of history for football in his native Iraq, 90 minutes away from returning the Lions of Mesopotamia to the global stage for the first time since Mexico 1986.
But to do so means breaking Saudi Arabian hearts, which could make for an awkward return to his club later this week.
Iraq’s hard-fought 1-0 win against Indonesia at Alinma Stadium on Saturday night sets up a mouth-watering, winner-takes-all showdown with hosts Saudi Arabia on Tuesday in Jeddah with a spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on the line.
The equation is simple: Iraq must win while either a draw or a win will be good enough for Herve Renard’s Green Falcons.
Most certainly, Bayesh will be in the thick of all the action, the playmaker employed by a Saudi club but roaring with pride for his native Iraq.
Bayesh is one of 13 Iraqi players to have played in the Roshn Saudi League, with Younis Mahmoud perhaps the most revered to have graced our pitches, the legendary striker representing Al Ahli more than a decade ago.
But Bayesh is part of an emerging new generation that are taking Iraqi football to new heights, alongside players like Youssef Amyn (who played for Al Wehda last season) and Ali Jasim, who is on the books of newly promoted Al Najmah.
Bayesh, 25, has long been on the radar after his exploits for Baghdad-based Al Quwa Al Jawiya, helping the club capture the AFC Cup – the predecessor to the AFC Champions League Two – in 2018, the club’s third AFC Cup triumph in succession.
Despite being only 18, Bayesh played a leading role in the knockout rounds, scoring the second goal in the final in a 2-0 victory against Turkmenistan’s Altyn Asyr. It is from there that he earned his reputation as a big-game player.
It also earned Bayesh his first-call up to the national team, where he has largely been an ever present since. Of course, there have been lows and sky-high highs, with Bayesh suffering the pain of missing out on qualifying for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Yet, less than a year later, he experienced the unbridled joy of winning the Arabian Gulf Cup on home soil in 2023. The winners felt fitting since it marked the first time the tournament had been played in Iraq since 1988.
Not only did he help Iraq seal the trophy, Bayesh was also named the tournament’s MVP for his scintillating performances.
Those displays comprised three goals and, in turn, him finishing joint-top scorer with three goals, including netting the opener in the final against ??? in front of a sold-out 65,000 crowd at the Basra International Stadium.
It only served to further underline Bayesh’s potential and pedigree in regional football. Still on the books of Al Quwa Al Jawiya, it prompted clubs around the world to reportedly chase his signature and, in August of last year, he committed his future to Al Riyadh.
It’s a move that has paid off for both player and club, with Bayesh announcing his arrival in last season’s RSL by scoring on debut in a 3-3 thriller with Al Wehda.
In his first campaign in 2024-25, he was one of Al Riyadh’s best, finishing as their second top-scorer with five goals as the capital club came home in 11th.
Ibrahim Bayesh with an amazing debut goal for Al Riyadh! ⚽🇮🇶#EsportsWorldCuppic.twitter.com/hzTA6FK8Ni
— Roshn Saudi League (@SPL_EN) August 22, 2024
Bayesh’s start to this season has been a little more auspicious, however, when a red card in Al Riyadh’s 2-1 win against Al Najmah in Matchweek 2 stunting his input.
But there is no dampening the excitement in Iraq ahead of the do-or-die showdown with Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. With manager Graham Arnold now in charge, who has been there and done it with Australia, there is a renewed sense of belief that this is Iraq’s time.
While that would come at the expense of Saudi Arabia, that will – for the moment at least – be of little concern to Bayesh as he looks to achieve a life-long goal to play at the World Cup.
“Congratulations to the Iraqi people, congratulations to the fans who are supporting us,” he said just moments after the Indonesia triumph on Saturday in a video shared on social media by the Asian Football Confederation.
“God willing, we will realise the dream of qualifying to the World Cup.”
