Football in Iraq

National teams

The national team have qualified for the final tournament of the World Cup once in 1986 which was held in Mexico. Success in the Asian Cup has been more widespread, winning the tournament in 2007 and finishing fourth in 1976 and 2015. As of 2015 the women's national team have not entered either of these competitions.

The under-23 side has had success at the Asian Games winning silver at the 2006 edition in Qatar and bronze in the 2014 tournament, held in South Korea. Their best placing in Olympic football has been fourth at Athens in 2004.

As of 18 July 2024 the men's team were ranked 55th in the world while the women's team are ranked 172nd

Football stadiums in Iraq

The Ministry of Youth and Sports developed plans to drastically improve sports infrastructure and have decided to build big stadiums in every governorate of Iraq. The government gave them a $2.5bn package for this cause, and plans have been drawn up to build most of the stadiums below. They have also used some of this budget to improve football on a local level in areas of the country. Most stadiums listed below have been funded by this package, unless they are one of the older stadiums, or the proposed Baghdad Sports City, which will be funded by the Saudi king, King Salman.

!#!!Image!!Stadium!! Location!!Current Capacity!!Sport!!Home team(s)!!Year built!!Coordinates!!Ref. |- |style"text-align:center;" |_row_count |[[File:ملعب جذع النخلة 2022.jpg|150px]] |Basra International Stadium |Basra |style"text-align:center;" |65,227 |Football |Iraq national football team |style"text-align:center;" |2013 |style"text-align:center;" | | |- |style"text-align:center;" |_row_count |[[File:Al-Shaab Stadium3 (3).JPG|150px]] |Al-Shaab Stadium |Baghdad |style"text-align:center;" |35,700 |Football |Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, Al-Shorta SC, Al-Talaba SC |style"text-align:center;" |1966 |style"text-align:center;" | | |- |style"text-align:center;" |_row_count | |Al-Madina Stadium |Al Habibya, Baghdad |style"text-align:center;" |32,000 |Football |Iraq national football team |style"text-align:center;" |2021 |style"text-align:center;" | | |- |style"text-align:center;" |_row_count |[[File:ملعب كربلاء الدولي.jpg|150px]] |Karbala International Stadium |Karbala |style"text-align:center;" |30,000 |Football |Karbala SC |style"text-align:center;" |2016 |style"text-align:center;" | | |- |style"text-align:center;" |_row_count | |Al-Najaf International Stadium |Najaf |style"text-align:center;" |30,000 |Football |Al-Najaf SC, Naft Al-Wasat SC |style"text-align:center;" |2018 |style"text-align:center;" | | |- |style"text-align:center;" |_row_count |[[File:ملعب الميناء.jpg|150px]] |Al-Minaa Olympic Stadium |Basra |style"text-align:center;" |30,000 |Football |Al-Minaa SC |style"text-align:center;" |2022 |style"text-align:center;" | | |- |style"text-align:center;" |_row_count |[[File:Franso Hariri Stadium.JPG|150px]] |Franso Hariri Stadium |Erbil |style"text-align:center;" |25,000 |Football |Erbil SC |style"text-align:center;" |1956 |style"text-align:center;" | | |- |style"text-align:center;" |_row_count | |Kirkuk Olympic Stadium |Kirkuk |style"text-align:center;" |25,000 |Football |Kirkuk SC |style"text-align:center;" |1982 |style"text-align:center;" | | |- |style"text-align:center;" |_row_count | |Maysan Stadium |Amarah |style"text-align:center;" |25,000 |Football |Naft Maysan SC, Maysan SC |style"text-align:center;" |1987 |style"text-align:center;" | | |- |style"text-align:center;" |_row_count | |Duhok Stadium |Duhok | style"text-align:center;" |22,800 |Football |Duhok SC |style"text-align:center;" |1986 |style"text-align:center;" | | |- |style"text-align:center;" |_row_count |[[File:ZaxggStadium.jpg|150px]] |Zakho International Stadium |Zakho |style"text-align:center;" |20,000 |Football |Zakho SC |style"text-align:center;" |2015 |style"text-align:center;" | | |- |style"text-align:center;" |_row_count | |Al-Kut Olympic Stadium |Al Kut |style"text-align:center;" |20,000 |Football |Al-Kut SC |style"text-align:center;" |2018 |style"text-align:center;" | | |- |style"text-align:center;" |_row_count | |Sulaymaniyah Stadium |Sulaymaniyah |style"text-align:center;" |18,000 |Football |Sulaymaniyah SC, Newroz SC |style"text-align:center;" | |style"text-align:center;" | | |- |style"text-align:center;" |_row_count | |Al-Zawraa Stadium |Baghdad |style"text-align:center;" |15,443 |Football ||Al-Zawraa SC |style"text-align:center;" |2022 |style"text-align:center;" | | |- |style"text-align:center;" |_row_count | |Al Ramadi Stadium |Ramadi |style"text-align:center;" |15,000 |Football ||Al-Ramadi SC, Al-Fahad SC |style"text-align:center;" | |style"text-align:center;" | | |- |style"text-align:center;" |_row_count | |Al-Samawah Stadium |Al Muthanna |style"text-align:center;" |15,000 |Football ||Al-Samawa SC, Uruk SC |style"text-align:center;" | |style"text-align:center;" | | |- |style"text-align:center;" |_row_count | |Al-Kashafa Stadium |Al Kasrah, Baghdad |style"text-align:center;" |14,000 |Football | |style"text-align:center;" |1931 |style"text-align:center;" | | |- |style"text-align:center;" |_row_count | |Al Fayhaa Stadium |Basra |style"text-align:center;" |10,000 |Football |Naft Al-Basra SC, Al-Minaa SC |style"text-align:center;" |2013 |style"text-align:center;" | | |- |style"text-align:center;" |_row_count | |Al-Najaf old Stadium |Najaf |style"text-align:center;" |10,000 |Football |Al-Najaf SC |style"text-align:center;" |1970 |style"text-align:center;" | | |- |style"text-align:center;" |_row_count | |Suq Al-Shuyukh Stadium |Dhi Qar |style"text-align:center;"|10,000 |Football |Al-Furat SC, Suq Al-Shuyukh SC |style"text-align:center;" |2015 |style"text-align:center;" | | |- |style"text-align:center;" |_row_count | |Delal Stadium |Zakho |style"text-align:center;"|10,000 |Football |Zakho SC |style"text-align:center;" | |style"text-align:center;" | | |- |style"text-align:center;" |_row_count | |Al Aziziyah Stadium |Wasit |style"text-align:center;"|10,000 |Football |Al-Aziziyah SC |style"text-align:center;" |2019 |style"text-align:center;" | | |- |style"text-align:center;" |_row_count | |Al-Nasiriyah Stadium |Nasiriyah |style"text-align:center;"|10,000 |Football |Al-Nasiriya SC, Akkad SC |style"text-align:center;" | |style"text-align:center;" | | |- |style"text-align:center;" |_row_count | |Ba'quba Stadium |Baqubah |style"text-align:center;"|10,000 |Football |Diyala SC |style"text-align:center;" | |style"text-align:center;" | | |- |style"text-align:center;" |_row_count | |Tikrit Stadium |Tikrit |style"text-align:center;"|10,000 |Football |Salahaddin SC, Tikrit SC |style"text-align:center;" | |style"text-align:center;" | | |- |} }}

Club tournaments

Aliyat Al-Shorta reached the final of the Asian Club Championship, the biggest tournament in Asian football, in 1971 but withdrew from the final due to it being against an Israeli team. Al-Rasheed also reached the final in 1989 but lost on away goals. Al-Shorta won the first ever edition of the Arab Club Champions Cup in 1982 with Al-Rasheed winning that competition three times in a row (1985, 1986, 1987). Al-Talaba and Al-Zawraa both lost the final of the Asian Cup Winners' Cup in 1995 and 2000 respectively, and Erbil lost the final of Asia's second-tier tournament, the AFC Cup, twice in 2012 and 2014. Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya won the AFC Cup three consecutive times in 2016, 2017 and 2018, while Duhok won the 2024–25 edition of the AGCFF Gulf Club Champions League.

Domestic league titles won by club

Main article: List of Iraqi football champions#Total titles won

Attendances

The 2024–25 Iraq Stars League clubs by average home league attendance:

References

References

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