Iraq began their Thai King's Cup campaign with a 2-1 victory over Hong Kong on Thursday, September 4, 2025. The win sets up Iraq nicely in the traditional four-nation tournament hosted in Thailand. Iraq took control of the match early, scoring twice in the first half to establish a comfortable lead. Hong Kong, however, showed great spirit after the break, pulling a goal back to set up a tense finale. Iraq managed the game well in the closing stages, seeing out the victory despite increased pressure from their opponents. The standout performance was Iraq's efficient first-half display, which ultimately proved decisive. This result puts Iraq in a strong position to advance to the King's Cup final, depending on the outcome of the other group match.