Iraqi national team player and Swedish club Hammarby, Montadhar Majid, has rejected the invitation to join the national team for the friendly four-nation tournament scheduled to take place in Basra this month, attributing his decision to disagreements with the Iraqi Football Federation and Australian coach Graham Arnold.
Majid stated in a statement followed by the news agency Video News that he does not wish to join the national team at this time, indicating that he is going through difficult circumstances and does not want to delve into the details of the disagreements to avoid stirring media controversy.
He added that he will stay in Sweden to continue his professional career with Hammarby, confirming that there is an issue between him and the Iraqi Federation and coach Arnold, without revealing the nature of that issue.
This stance came after Arnold announced the national team roster participating in the four-nation tournament, which included Majid's name, despite reports that he had previously declined the invitation.
According to media reports, Arnold contacted the player one day before announcing the roster, but Majid informed him of his refusal to join the team due to his desire to focus on his career with his Swedish club, which upset the coach and led him to demand a clear stance on representing Iraq in the future.
Reports indicated that including Majid's name in the roster occurred amidst these disagreements, aiming to clarify the player's position to the fans, at a time when no official comment had been issued by the Iraqi Federation or the technical staff to confirm details of what transpired.
The decision sparked widespread controversy in Iraqi sports circles, with some criticizing the player for refusing to represent the national team, while others believe that his focus on his professional career in Europe, especially after being omitted from Iraq's roster for the 2026 World Cup, could be among the main reasons for his stance.
Majid is 21 years old and has previously represented the Iraqi national team in four international matches since his debut in the summer of 2024 during the tenure of Spanish coach Jesus Casillas.
The crisis comes at a sensitive time for Hammarby, which is in the final stage of the Swedish league competition, with three matches remaining for the team in the race for the title, amid reports of the club's insistence on keeping the player and fears of the worsening of his injury.