Zidane Iqbal made history on Tuesday by becoming the first player of Pakistani heritage to feature at a FIFA World Cup, marking a landmark moment for football in a country that has yet to qualify for the global showpiece.
The 23-year-old Iraq midfielder came off the bench in the 59th minute of his side's Group stage match against Norway, etching his name into the history books despite Iraq suffering a 4-1 defeat.
Born in Manchester in April 2003 to a Pakistani father from Sahiwal in Punjab and an Iraqi mother, Iqbal was eligible to represent Pakistan, Iraq or England at international level. He ultimately chose Iraq.
Iqbal began playing football with Sale United at the age of four before joining Manchester United's academy at nine after being spotted by scouts. He progressed through the club's youth ranks and made a senior appearance before moving to Dutch side FC Utrecht, where he also featured for the reserve team, Jong FC Utrecht.
His World Cup appearance carries added significance for Pakistan, a nation of more than 250 million people that has never qualified for the tournament. Pakistan are currently ranked 198th in the world.
