Persib Bandung defender Frans Putros has officially been named in Iraq’s final national team squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The announcement was made through the official Instagram account @iraq_en on Monday, 1 June 2026. In the post, Frans Putros’ face and name appeared alongside 25 other Iraqi players selected by head coach Graham Arnold.
“Introducing Iraq’s final team for the FIFA World Cup. 26 players who carry the name of Iraq and the hopes of their fans as they prepare to represent the nation on football’s biggest stage.”
“Congratulations to the Lions of Mesopotamia!” the post continued.
Here is Iraq’s complete final squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup:
Goalkeepers: Fahad Talib, Jalal Hasan, Ahmed Basil
Defenders: Hussein Ali, Manaf Younis, Zaid Tahseen, Rebin Sulaka, Akam Mashem, Merchas Doski, Ahmed Yahya, Mustafa Saadoon
Midfielders: Zaid Ismail, Amir Al Ammari, Kevin Yakob, Zidane Iqbal, Aimar Sher, Frans Putros
Forwards: Youssef Amyn, Ibrahim Bayesh, Ahmed Qasim, Marko Farji, Ali Jassim, Ali Al Hamadi, Ali Yousef, Aymen Hussein, Mohamad Ali
Iraq has been drawn in Group I along with France, Senegal, and Norway.
Below is Iraq’s group stage schedule for the 2026 World Cup:
• Iraq vs Norway
Wednesday, 17 June 2026
• France vs Iraq
Tuesday, 23 June 2026
• Senegal vs Iraq
Saturday, 27 June 2026
Iraq secured their place in the 2026 World Cup by winning the inter-confederation play-off final in Pathway 2.
In that decisive match, Iraq—representing the fifth-place team from the AFC qualifiers—defeated Bolivia 2-1.
Frans Dhia Jirjis Haddad, better known as Frans Putros, was born in Aarhus, Denmark, on 14 July 1993.
He is known for his versatility, capable of playing both as a defender and a defensive midfielder.
Putros began his youth career at IK Skovbakken before joining AGF in 2004. He spent several years there playing for both the youth and reserve teams.
He made his Danish Superliga debut on 16 November 2012, playing the full 90 minutes against FC Nordsjaelland.
In 2013, Putros was loaned to Silkeborg IF, where he reunited with former AGF assistant coach Jesper Sorensen, who had become Silkeborg’s head coach.
After a successful loan spell, Putros signed a permanent contract with Silkeborg IF at the end of 2013.
In 2015, he joined Fredericia, where he played until the end of 2017 before signing a two-year deal with Hobro IK.
After his contract with Hobro IK expired in 2019, Putros signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with Viborg FF on 11 January 2020.
In 2022, Putros expanded his career to Southeast Asia by joining Port FC in Thailand. Over three seasons, he made 72 appearances and scored one goal.
For the 2025/2026 season, Frans Putros was officially introduced as a Persib Bandung player under the guidance of head coach Bojan Hodak.
In the Super League, he featured in 28 matches, scoring one goal, providing two assists, and accumulating 2,128 minutes of playing time.
In the AFC Champions League Two (ACL 2), he made seven appearances and contributed one goal.
During his time with Persib Bandung, Putros has been appreciated by Bojan Hodak for his adaptability and ability to play multiple roles on the field.
Although he primarily plays as a defensive midfielder, he can also fill in as a full-back when needed.
Frans Putros made his international debut for Iraq in a friendly match against Palestine on 4 August 2018, which ended in a 3-0 victory.
Since then, he has been a regular call-up for the Iraqi national team, culminating in his selection for the final 2026 FIFA World Cup squad.
