The King Fahd Stadium in Riyadh stages the FIFA World Cup qualifier between Iraq and UAE tomorrow © Getty Images

Worries over security have forced Iraq's World Cup qualifier against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) tomorrow to be switched to the King Fahd Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 

The decision was made jointly by FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) after a missile attack on the Northern city of Erbil last week.

"Following the latest incidents in Iraq as well as the broader shifts in global security in recent weeks, a reassessment of the safety and security situation in Iraq was performed jointly by FIFA and the AFC," a statement said.

"Based on the assessment, and to ensure the highest standards of safety and security for all the stakeholders involved, it was decided that the match should be moved to a neutral venue." 

Iraq, playing in white, drew 1-1 in their most recent World Cup qualifier against Lebanon ©Getty Images
Iraq, playing in white, drew 1-1 in their most recent World Cup qualifier against Lebanon ©Getty Images

Iran and South Korea have already qualified for the World Cup from the group after a qualification phase which has been delayed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

With two matches still to play, the Iraqis trail the UAE by four points in Group A, but both nations can still claim a spot in the inter-continental qualifiers for November's World Cup in Qatar.

Tomorrow’s match had originally been scheduled for the Al-Madina International Stadium in Baghdad.

In January, Iraq defeated Uganda 1-0 in front of a crowd estimated at 60,000 in their first home match in the city for eight years.

Since 2003, Iraq have only been able to play two World Cup qualifiers on home soil, the last in Basra in 2019.

The only time they had qualified for the final stages of the tournament was in 1986.