Minister of Youth and Sports Ahmed Al-Mubarqa confirmed: "The governmental and popular effort is directed towards supporting our national team with the aim of reaching the 2026 World Cup." The minister said during his inspection of the ongoing work at Al-Minaa Stadium: "This beautiful stadium, which hosted the 25th Gulf Championship, must be bright and complementary to the sports facilities in Basra, so the Ministry of Youth attaches special importance to maintenance and rehabilitation work in it," noting that the company implementing the rehabilitation work violated the terms in terms of quality and timing, so the Ministry of Youth will undertake its full rehabilitation. He explained: "The governmental effort at the highest levels is directed towards achieving the aspirations of our sports fans for our national team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup." Source: National Iraqi News Agency