Iraq
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)Usood al-Rafidayn
(Lions of Mesopotamia)
AssociationIraq Football Association (IFA)
ConfederationAFC (Asia)
Sub-confederationWAFF (West Asia)
Head coachJesús Casas
CaptainJalal Hassan
Most capsYounis Mahmoud (148)
Top scorerHussein Saeed (78)
Home stadiumBasra International Stadium
FIFA codeIRQ
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 63 Steady (21 December 2023)[1]
Highest39 (6 October 2004)
Lowest139 (3 July 1996)
First international
 Morocco 3–3 Iraq 
(Beirut, Lebanon; 19 October 1957)
Biggest win
 Iraq 13–0 Ethiopia 
(Irbid, Jordan; 18 August 1992)
Biggest defeat
 Turkey 7–1 Iraq 
(Adana, Turkey; 6 December 1959)
 Brazil 6–0 Iraq 
(Malmö, Sweden; 11 October 2012)
 Chile 6–0 Iraq 
(Copenhagen, Denmark; 14 August 2013)
World Cup
Appearances1 (first in 1986)
Best resultGroup stage (1986)
Asian Cup
Appearances9 (first in 1972)
Best resultChampions (2007)
Arab Cup
Appearances6 (first in 1964)
Best resultChampions (1964, 1966, 1985, 1988)
WAFF Championship
Appearances8 (first in 2000)
Best resultChampions (2002)
Arabian Gulf Cup
Appearances16 (first in 1976)
Best resultChampions (1979, 1984, 1988, 2023)
FIFA Confederations Cup
Appearances1 (first in 2009)
Best resultGroup stage (2009)
Medal record
AFC Asian Cup
Gold medal – first place2007 Indonesia/Malaysia
/Thailand/Vietnam		Team
Asian Games
Gold medal – first place1982 New DelhiTeam
WAFF Championship
Gold medal – first place2002 SyriaTeam
Silver medal – second place2007 JordanTeam
Silver medal – second place2012 KuwaitTeam
Silver medal – second place2019 IraqTeam
Bronze medal – third place2000 JordanTeam
Bronze medal – third place2010 Jordan (s.f.)Team
Arab Cup
Gold medal – first place1964 KuwaitTeam
Gold medal – first place1966 IraqTeam
Gold medal – first place1985 Saudi ArabiaTeam
Gold medal – first place1988 JordanTeam
Bronze medal – third place2012 Saudi ArabiaTeam
Arabian Gulf Cup
Gold medal – first place1979 IraqTeam
Gold medal – first place1984 OmanTeam
Gold medal – first place1988 Saudi ArabiaTeam
Gold medal – first place2023 IraqTeam
Silver medal – second place1976 QatarTeam
Silver medal – second place2013 BahrainTeam
Bronze medal – third place2010 Yemen (s.f.)Team
Bronze medal – third place2017–18 Kuwait (s.f.)Team
Bronze medal – third place2019 Qatar (s.f.)Team
West Asian Games
Gold medal – first place2005 DohaTeam
Arab Games
Gold medal – first place1985 RabatTeam
Silver medal – second place1999 AmmanTeam
Websitesocceriraq.net

The Iraq national football team (Arabic: منتخب الْعِرَاق لِكُرَةُ الْقَدَم) represents Iraq in international football and is controlled by the Iraq Football Association (IFA), the governing body for football in Iraq. Iraq's usual home venue is the Basra International Stadium.[2]

Iraq have made one FIFA World Cup appearance in 1986, scoring their only goal against Belgium. They are one of eight current AFC nations to have won the AFC Asian Cup, claiming the title in 2007 in spite of difficult conditions and limited preparation. Iraq defeated some of the favourites in the competition including Australia, South Korea and Saudi Arabia. This qualified them for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup where they earned two points in the group stage, and they later finished fourth at the 2015 AFC Asian Cup.[3]

Iraq is known for its passionate football fans and the national team is also seen as a symbol of hope and unity for Iraqi people.[4] The team reached an all-time high of 39th in the FIFA World Rankings in October 2004. Iraq are the current holders of the Arabian Gulf Cup, having won the title as hosts in 2023.[5]

History

Early years

The Iraqi national football team in 1951; they played two games in the Turkish cities of İzmir and Ankara.

On 8 October 1948, the Iraq Football Association was founded.[6] The Iraq FA joined FIFA in 1950 and in April 1951, Iraq played their first match: a 5–0 win over the Civil Cantonment (CC) team of Habbaniyah.[7][6] Iraq's first ever official international game came in the opening game of the 1957 Arab Games in Beirut where Iraq drew 3–3 to Morocco with goals from Ammo Baba, Youra Eshaya (both from Iraq's Assyrian minority) and Fakhri Mohammed Salman.[8][6] One of the members of Iraq's first national team was Youra Eshaya, who in 1954 became the first Iraqi footballer to play in England for Bristol Rovers Colts.

In 1962, Iraq appointed their first foreign manager, Romanian coach Cornel Drăgușin. Iraq won their first trophy in 1964 when they won the Arab Cup, winning three and drawing one of their four games. In the following edition, they retained their Arab Cup title, beating Syria 2–1 in the final in Baghdad.[6]

1970s

In 1972, Iraq played at their first ever AFC Asian Cup but failed to win a game in the tournament. In March 1973, Iraq played their first ever FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign. They finished second in their group, a point behind Australia, therefore failing to qualify for the next round. In the remaining years of the 1970s, Iraq reached the second round of the Asian Games (1974), lost the Arabian Gulf Cup final (1976), finished fourth at the AFC Asian Cup (1976), finished fourth in the Asian Games (1978) and finally hosted and won the Arabian Gulf Cup (1979).[9] The 1976 Asian Cup would be the last Asian Cup that Iraq appeared in for the next 20 years, as they withdrew from the next four editions.

1980s – First Golden Generation

The 1980s was arguably Iraq's most successful period in their history. They started the decade off disappointingly, being knocked out in the first round of qualifiers for the 1982 FIFA World Cup. In 1982, they won the gold medal at the 1982 Asian Games. In 1984, Iraq won the Arabian Gulf Cup. The following year, they won the 1985 Arab Cup and also won the gold medal at the 1985 Arab Games.

1986 FIFA World Cup

Iraq were seeded into the first round of qualifiers where they faced Qatar and Jordan. Iraq topped Group 1B with 6 points, and advanced to the second round. Iraq faced United Arab Emirates in two legs. Iraq defeated UAE 3–2 in Dubai. Iraq lost with 2–1 to UAE in the second leg. Iraq won 4–4 aggregate on away goals and advanced to the final round. In the final round, Iraq tied Syria 0–0 in Damascus. Iraq defeated Syria 3–1 in the second leg in Taif. Iraq won 3–1 on aggregate and qualified to the 1986 FIFA World Cup

At their first game of the Group B at the 1986 FIFA World Cup, Iraq played well against Paraguay, losing narrowly 1–0 despite scoring a goal that was controversially disallowed by the referee. Iraq recorded their first World Cup goal in the second game, scoring against Belgium in a 1–2 defeat despite having ten men, with Ahmed Radhi scoring a goal for Iraq. Iraq played against hosts Mexico in the third game, losing 1–0 and being eliminated from the World Cup.

In the following years, Iraq won the 1988 Arabian Gulf Cup and won the 1988 Arab Cup. Overall, Iraq won nine competitions in the 1980s and played in their only World Cup, leading many to believe that this was the golden era of Iraqi football. In 1989, Iraq competed in qualifying for a berth in the 1990 World Cup finals, but they lost a crucial game against Qatar.

1990s – The Dark Era

Following the Gulf War in 1990, Iraq was banned from participating in the Asian Games and in most Arab competitions, leading them to participate in friendly competitions instead.

1994 FIFA World Cup qualification

In 1993, Iraq participated in qualifiers for the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Grouped with China, Yemen, Jordan and Pakistan in the first stage, Iraq proved to be too strong for the rest, with the team only failing to win twice, an draw to Jordan and loss to China.

In the final round, Iraq was grouped with Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Japan, Iran and North Korea. On the first matchday, Iraq lost 3–2 to North Korea in a dramatic way, being 2–0 ahead in the second half. After an Iraqi player was sent off, North Korea pulled back in the 67th minute, equalized in the 77th minute and scored the winner in the 82nd minute.[10] They then tied 2–2 with South Korea.[11] and then defeated Iran 2–1 by goals of Ahmed Radhi and Alaa Kadhim.[12]

Iraq missed out on a World Cup spot by two points. By drawing their last game with Japan 2–2, they denied the Japanese a place in the finals in a match referred to by the Japanese media as the Agony of Doha.[13] The loss against North Korea proved to be the difference with the other teams, as North Korea lost their other 4 matches and finished bottom of the group.

1996 AFC Asian Cup

Iraq participated in the 1996 AFC Asian Cup, their first Asian Cup campaign for 20 years of withdrawing from the previous four. They reached the quarter-finals but lost to the United Arab Emirates due to a golden goal scored by Abdulrahman Ibrahim. In 1996, Iraq was ranked 139th in the world, which is their worst FIFA ranking in their history due to inactivity after withdrawing from several tournaments.

In 1997, Iraq participated in qualifiers for the 1998 FIFA World Cup but were knocked out at the first round following two defeats by Kazakhstan.

This period is known as 'The Dark Era' as Uday Hussein, the son of Saddam Hussein, abused his control of Iraqi football and tortured players who played poorly, punishing them by sending them to prison, making them bathe in raw sewage and kick concrete balls, and shaving their heads among many other punishments.[14][15]

2000s – Second Golden Generation

The 2000s was considered to be the rebirth of a new Iraqi football golden generation. However, Iraq had a rocky beginning.

2000 AFC Asian Cup

Iraq played in the 2000 AFC Asian Cup but were knocked out at the quarter-final stage again, this time by Japan in a 4–1 loss.

2002 FIFA World Cup qualification

Iraq reached the final round of 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification for the first time since 1994 but lost five of their eight second-round games and therefore failed to make the finals.

Iraq won their first ever WAFF Championship in 2002, beating Jordan 3–2 in the final after extra time.

2004 AFC Asian Cup

In 2004, Iraq stunned Asia by beating Saudi Arabia, and reached the quarter-finals of the AFC Asian Cup before getting knocked out by China.[16]

2006 FIFA World Cup qualification

In the same year they were knocked out at the second round of 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifiers by Uzbekistan.

Iraq were ranked as high as 39th in the World Rankings in October 2004 which is their highest ranking position in their history. The following year, Iraq won the gold medal in the West Asian Games by beating Syria in the final via a penalty shootout. In 2007, Iraq were knocked out at the group stage of the Arabian Gulf Cup after a controversial defeat to Saudi Arabia.[17] Akram Salman was sacked and Jorvan Vieira appointed as head coach. Under him, Iraq reached the final of the WAFF Championship but lost 2–1 to Iran.

2007 AFC Asian Cup triumph

Iraq playing against Australia in Group A of the 2007 AFC Asian Cup; Iraq won the game 3–1 on their way to winning the cup.

In July 2007, Iraq kicked off their 2007 AFC Asian Cup campaign. The squad was made mainly of players that won the 2000 AFC Youth Championship, finished fourth at the 2004 Olympic Games and second at the 2006 Asian Games. Vieira only had two months to prepare his team for the tournament, and the team suffered from very poor facilities. The Iraq FA struggled to provide the team with enough kits for the tournament and Iraq had not been able to play any previous games in their own country for security reasons and most of the players had had family members killed in the war.

The team started the tournament with a 1–1 draw against joint-hosts Thailand before producing a 3–1 win over favourites Australia. A draw with Oman followed to put Iraq into the quarter-finals where two goals from Younis Mahmoud against Vietnam put Iraq into the semi-finals for the second time in their history. They manages to knock out one of the best Asian teams, South Korea in the semis via a penalty shootout in which Noor Sabri made a crucial save. After the game, a suicide bomber killed 30 football fans who were celebrating the semi-final win over South Korea and this almost led to the Iraqi team withdrawing from the final, but they decided to go on in honour of the dead and succeeded in doing that after defeating Saudi Arabia 1–0 in the final, a game that they dominated from start to finish and that was won by a Younis Mahmoud header. This tournament win is seen as one of the greatest upsets in international history as a war-torn country became international champions in what is described as one of sport's greatest 'fairytales'.[18][19]

Vieira stated during the final that he would resign after the Asian Cup.[20] He was replaced by Egil Olsen in September 2007.[21]

2010 FIFA World Cup qualification

Under Egil Olsen, Iraq advanced from the first round by beating Pakistan 7-0 on aggregate. Then they were drawn with Australia, China, and Qatar for the second round.[22] On the first matchday, Iraq tied China. As a consequence, Olsen was sacked and replaced by Adnan Hamad.[23]

The next two matches saw Iraq lose twice to Qatar and Australia. However, Iraq bounced back with an 1-0 win on Australia and 2-1 win against China.[24]

On 26 May 2008, FIFA decided to suspend Iraq from all international competitions after the Iraq Football Association was disbanded by the government on 20 May 2008.[25] The suspension was provisionally and conditionally lifted on 29 May 2008.[26]

Iraq needed 1 point to advance to the final stage on the last matchday, but failed to advance to the final round of 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers as a 1–0 defeat to Qatar saw them finish in third in the group. Following this, the Iraq FA decided to disband the team and sacked Hamad.[27]

Qatar fielded ineligible player Emerson in the 2–0 defeat to Iraq on 26 March 2008, prompting FIFA to controversially[28] suspend him but clear Qatar of any wrongdoing, in direct contradiction to its decisions against Singapore. Iraq appealed the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport but it was rejected by the CAS, saying that Iraq submitted documents and appeal fees too late.[29]

Jorvan Vieira was reappointed in September 2008. After a disappointing 2009 Arabian Gulf Cup, Vieira was sacked and replaced by Bora Milutinovic.[30]

2009 FIFA Confederations Cup

In 2009, Iraq participated in only their second FIFA tournament ever: the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, which they qualified for by winning the 2007 AFC Asian Cup. They started the tournament with a 0–0 draw with hosts South Africa, before losing 1–0 to UEFA Euro 2008 winners Spain. Iraq drew the last game 0–0 with New Zealand and were knocked out.

On 20 November 2009, the FIFA Emergency Committee suspended the Iraq FA due to government interference;[31] the suspension was lifted on 19 March 2010.[32]

2010s – Ups and downs

The Iraqi national team pose ahead of their 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification match against China in Doha.

2011 AFC Asian Cup

Iraq qualified automatically for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup. They were drawn against Iran, North Korea and UAE in Group D. After a 2–1 loss against Iran, and 1–0 win against UAE, Iraq went into the match against North Korea needing only a draw to progress. Iraq won 1–0 and advanced to the quarterfinals as group runners-up. On 23 January, Iraq lost to Australia, 1–0, in the quarterfinal. The match went into extra time with Harry Kewell heading in a goal in the 117th minute just inside the 18-yard box.

2014 FIFA World Cup qualification

Under coach Wolfgang Sidka, Iraq were drawn into the second round of qualifiers where they faced Yemen. Iraq defeated Yemen 2–0 in Arbil on 23 July before drawing 0–0 in Al Ain five days later. Iraq advanced to the third round of qualifiers where they were grouped with Jordan, China and Singapore. The IFA announced it would not renew Wolfgang Sidka's contract on 2 August 2011.[33] On 29 August 2011, Brazilian legend Zico signed a one-year contract to become the new coach of Iraq.[34]

Iraq topped Group A with 15 points, and in the final qualification stage was drawn with Jordan, Japan, Australia and Oman. Iraq started with 1–1 draws against Jordan away and Oman at home. After their slow start, Iraq lost 1–0 to Japan away and lost a crucial home match against Australia 2–1, moving them into bottom position with 2 points. On 14 November 2012, Iraq won 1–0 against Jordan in Doha which elevated them to third in Group B, behind Australia on goal difference and ahead of Oman.

On 28 November 2012, Zico resigned as head coach.[35] The Iraqi FA appointed Vladimir Petrović as his replacement on 25 February 2013.[36] However, on 11 June 2013, Iraq lost 1-0 to Japan in Doha and were eliminated from the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

2015 AFC Asian Cup

Iraq were in an 2015 AFC Asian Cup qualifying group alongside Saudi Arabia, China and Indonesia. After losing consecutively against China and Saudi Arabia, Iraq was in danger of missing out on the Asian Cup. They kept alive their hopes of qualifying for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup with a 2–0 away win over Indonesia on 19 November 2013, and on the last matchday, Iraq booked their spot with a commanding 3–1 win at the Sharjah Stadium against China. Due to bad results at the 22nd Arabian Gulf Cup, Hakeem Shaker was sacked and the FA appointed Radhi Shenaishil as caretaker coach.

Iraq began the 2015 AFC Asian Cup campaign with a 1–0 win over Jordan. In the next match, Iraq faced Japan and lost the match 0–1. Iraq then beat Palestine 2–0 and qualified to knockout stage as the Group D runner-up. Iraq defeated Iran in the quarter-finals in penalties, 7–6, after the game ended 3–3 after 120 minutes of play. They faced South Korea in the semi-finals but lost 0–2. Iraq finished the AFC Asian Cup in fourth place, after losing 2–3 to United Arab Emirates in third/fourth place play-off.

2018 FIFA World Cup qualification

For the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Iraq were drawn with Thailand, Vietnam and Chinese Taipei.[37]

In August 2015, Yahya Alwan was appointed coach for the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.[38] After initially starting well with a 5-1 win against Chinese Taipei, two consecutive draws against Thailand and Vietnam left Iraq in real danger of missing out on the final round. On 24 March 2016, Iraq tied 2-2 with Thailand and Alwan was replaced with Abdul-Ghani Shahad. Five days later, he led Iraq to the final round and 2019 AFC Asian Cup by beating Vietnam 1-0.

On 15 April 2016, Radhi Shenaishil became the new coach of Iraq in order to lead the team in the final round.[39] For the final round, Iraq was drawn with Japan, Australia, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Thailand. After seven matchdays, Iraq only managed to collect 4 points by beating Thailand and tie 1-1 with Australia. As a result, Shenaishil was sacked on April 10, 2017.[40]

Basim Qasim was appointed for the remainder of the qualifiers and Iraq finished fifth in the final round of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification.

2020s

The Iraqi national team pose ahead of their 2019 AFC Asian Cup match against Iran in Dubai.

2019 AFC Asian Cup

The 2019 Asian Cup draw put Iraq in Group D, with Iran, Vietnam, and Yemen.[41]

On 3 September 2018, Srečko Katanec was appointed as head coach on a three-year contract to lead Iraq in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup and 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification.[42]

Their first match took place on 8 January 2019 against Vietnam and ended in a 3-2 victory for Iraq.[43] In their second match, Iraq faced Iran on January 12, resulting in a 0-0 draw. Their final group game against Yemen on January 16 ended in a 3-0 victory, with goals coming from Mohanad Ali, Bashar Resan, and Alaa Abbas. With these performances, Iraq finished at the top of Group D and advanced to the knockout stage.[44]

In the Round of 16, Iraq faced Qatar. Despite their efforts, Iraq suffered a 1-0 defeat, with Bassam Al-Rawi scoring the only goal, ending their journey in the tournament. Qatar later won the tournament.[45]

2022 FIFA World Cup qualification

Iraq participated in the second round of the Asian qualifiers. They were placed in Group C alongside Bahrain, Iran, Cambodia, and Hong Kong and reached the final round with five wins from eight matches including a 2–1 victory against Iran.[46]

Iraq went 19 consecutive matches without losing between 2019 and 2021 and moved up from 89th to 68th in the FIFA rankings during Katanec's tenure. Katanec departed in July 2021 after six months of unpaid wages and filed a complaint with FIFA.[47]

On 31 July 2021, Dutchman Dick Advocaat was appointed head coach of Iraq.[48] Under Advocaat, Iraq made to a slow start to the final round of World Cup Qualifiers, drawing four games and losing two, and on 21 November 2021, Advocaat resigned. Željko Petrović took charge of the team for the 2021 FIFA Arab Cup, where Iraq were eliminated from the group stage. Petrović was sacked after two further winless qualifying games and Abdul-Ghani Shahad was appointed as an interim manager, but Iraq were eliminated after finishing fourth in the group.

On 7 November 2022, Jesús Casas was appointed head coach of Iraq to lead the national team in the 2023 AFC Asian Cup and 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification.[49] In the first tournament under Casas' leadership, Iraq hosted and won the 25th Arabian Gulf Cup, beating Oman 3–2 after extra time in the final.[50]

Team image

Kit

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Iraq national football team kits.

The Iraqi national football team's traditional home colour is green, while the away colour is white and the third colour is black. Iraq's kits have previously been manufactured by brands such as Puma, Nike, Diadora, Jack & Jones, Lotto, Peak, Givova, Umbro and Jako. The current kit supplier is Adidas.[51][52]

Kit suppliers

Kit supplier Period
Umbro 1984–1986
Adidas 1986–1994
Puma 1996
Patrick 2000
Jako 2003–2004
Jack & Jones 2004–2006
Diadora 2006
Lotto 2006
Adidas 2007
Umbro 2007
Peak 2008–2014
Adidas 2014
Jako 2014–2019
Givova 2019–2020
Umbro 2020–2022[53]
Jako 2022–2023[54]
Adidas 2024–[55]

Nickname

Lion in ceramic tile from the Ishtar Gate in Babylon.

The Iraqi team is commonly known as Usood al-Rafidayn (Arabic: أُسُودُ الرَّافِدَيْن), meaning "Lions of Mesopotamia". In ancient Mesopotamia, the Babylonian lion was a symbol of power, impetuosity, ferocity, prestige and dominance.[56] This is reflected in the sculpted lions in Babylon, where the processional path is ornamented with ceramic tile bas-reliefs representing a prestigious lion from the time of Nebuchadnezzar II. This kind of representation aimed to glorify the king, master of the beasts, and also represent the defeat of the enemy.[57] Moreover, the Chaldean royal inscriptions depict the king as a ferocious lion to whom nothing can be resisted.[58][59][60] The presence of lions in ancient Iraqi civilization was based on the belief, or desire, that the animals represented would bring with them the virtues they symbolized, so that they could be transmitted to the owners.[61]

Iraq kits throughout history have usually featured the flag of Iraq on them, although the coat of arms of Iraq and the Iraq Football Association logo have both appeared on kits in the past. The national team has occasionally had its own unique logo, the first of which was in 1983. This logo was based on the Iraq flag, with Iraqi written at the top of the crest.[62] From 2000 to 2002, the national team's logo featured a green outline with the word Iraq written at the top in green Arabic text. In the 2005 West Asian Games, the team wore a new logo with the red band of the flag appearing in a large semi-circle shape,[63] and in 2007, Iraq briefly reverted to using the logo that they had used from 2000 to 2002. On 23 October 2020, the national team's current logo was revealed, with a star featuring above the crest to commemorate the nation's 2007 AFC Asian Cup victory.[64]

Rivalries

Due to geographical location, Iraq maintains strong rivalries with many neighbours.

Iraq's main and traditional rival has been Iran, and they are often considered to be two of the greatest football teams in the Middle East and Asia with one of the greatest rivalries. At the early stage, Iran had proved to be more dominant than Iraq, remaining undefeated from 1964 until 1993. In the contemporary era, especially during the reign of Saddam Hussein, the two countries had bad relations and fought the Iran–Iraq War for eight years.[65][66] Iraqis have considered any matches against Iran as a must-win encounter and are known to treat it differently from any other football matches.[67] Iraq has played 31 matches against Iran with 6 victories, 7 draws, and 18 losses.

Iraq's other rival is Saudi Arabia, and matches between the two teams also draw significant attention from Iraqi fans, with Iraq and Saudi Arabia being recognised as the two most successful Arab teams in Asia. The beginnings of the footballing rivalry between them dates back to the 1970s, but it was only after the 1990s that the rivalry between the two Arab nations truly developed since it was previously overshadowed by Iraq's rivalries with Iran and Kuwait.[68] One of these reasons for the rivalry to develop is due to the bitter Gulf War, where Iraq fought against Saudi Arabia over Kuwait, an ally of Saudi Arabia.[69] These encounters have also been marred with various controversies and hostilities, such as the 21st Arabian Gulf Cup hosting rights, where Iraq was stripped from hosting with the tournament instead being moved to Bahrain, a move which was believed by Iraqis as a deliberate act by Saudi Arabia to remove Iraq's home advantage.[69] Before that, Iraq was also banned from hosting home games against Saudi Arabia due to the Gulf War.[69] Iraq has played 40 matches against Saudi Arabia with 18 victories, 11 draws, and 11 losses

Iraq's rivalry with Kuwait was once considered the greatest football rivalry in the Middle East, until being taken over by Iraq's rivalry with Saudi Arabia due to Kuwait's decline. The rivalry began in the mid-1970s. Because of the Gulf War, Iraq and Kuwait were in complete avoidance and never met for more than 15 years until 2005. Iraq has played 37 matches against Kuwait with 17 victories, 10 draws, and 10 losses.

Supporters

Iraqi fans in London celebrating Iraq winning the 2007 AFC Asian Cup.

Iraq national team supporters are known for chanting "O Victorious Baghdad" ("منصورة يا بغداد") or "With our souls and our blood, we will redeem you, O Iraq" ("بالروح بالدم نفديك يا عراق") during the Iraqi team's matches.[70]

Another famous chant is "the first goal is coming" ("هسه يجي الاول") which is chanted in the beginning of the match.[71] A succeeding chant is "the second goal is coming" ("هسه يجي الثاني"); this is usually chanted repeatedly after Iraq score a goal to motivate the players to score another.

Home matches in Iraq

Basra International Stadium during the second opening friendly match between Al-Zawraa and Zamalek in 2013.

Currently, Iraq primarily play their home matches in Basra or Baghdad, and use other various stadiums around Iraq. Since 1980, FIFA imposed bans on seven occasions that prevented Iraq from hosting competitive international games.

Pre-2003

The first ban was imposed in 1980 after an Olympic qualifying play-off between Iraq and Kuwait in Baghdad, where the match referee was attacked by enraged home fans and members of the Iraqi team after the Malaysian official's decision to award a match-changing penalty to the Kuwaitis that led to Iraq losing 3–2. The ban was lifted in 1982.[72]

Around the same time, the Iran–Iraq War started and the ban was imposed again. Iraq played their qualifying home games at a neutral venue and still qualified for the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, and three Olympic Games (Moscow, Los Angeles and Seoul). The ban was lifted in 1988, when the war ended.

When the Gulf War broke out in 1990, FIFA banned Iraq from hosting matches again until 1995. Iraq played at home at the 1998 World Cup qualifiers and 2002 World Cup qualifiers.

Post-2003

The Iraq War in 2003 forced Iraq to play their home matches outside the country for security reasons, and so home games were held at neutral venues for the 2006 World Cup qualifiers, 2007 Asian Cup qualifiers and 2010 World Cup qualifiers. In July 2009, Iraq played on home soil for the first time since the Iraq War, against Palestine in Erbil and Baghdad. The same month, the AFC Executive Committee approved the Franso Hariri Stadium as Iraq's venue for international matches and for clubs in continental tournaments.[73]

On 23 July 2011, Iraq played a FIFA World Cup qualifier on home ground for the first time since 2001, defeating Yemen 2–0 at Franso Hariri Stadium in Erbil. However, FIFA re-imposed the ban on 23 September 2011 due to fears over security and a breach of safety regulations in the qualifying match with Jordan. Between 2013 and 2018, Iraq played various friendlies on home soil – in 2013 against Syria and Liberia in Baghdad, and in 2017 against Jordan, Kenya and Syria in Basra and Karbala. After successfully hosting these friendlies, on 16 March 2018, FIFA announced the lifting of the ban on competitive matches in the three cities.[74][75] The 2018 AFC Cup Final was hosted in Basra,[76] and in the summer of 2019, Iraq hosted the 2019 WAFF Championship.[77]

However, following the outbreak of the 2019 Iraqi protests, FIFA once again imposed competitive home matches ban on Iraq.[78] This meant that Iraq played the remainder of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers at neutral venues.

In 2023, Iraq hosted the 25th Arabian Gulf Cup, which was the first time they had hosted the tournament since 1979.[79]

Iraq resumed playing official games at home for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification, beating Indonesia 5–1 in Basra.[80]

Results and fixtures

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

  Win   Draw   Loss   Fixture

2023

26 March 2023 Friendly Russia  2–0  Iraq Saint Petersburg, Russia
18:00 UTC+3
Report Stadium: Gazprom Arena
Referee: Akhrol Riskullayev (Uzbekistan)
16 June 2023 Friendly Colombia  1–0  Iraq Valencia, Spain
21:00 UTC+2
Report Stadium: Mestalla Stadium
Referee: Miguel Nogueira (Portugal)
16 November 2023 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers Iraq  5–1  Indonesia Basra, Iraq
17:45 UTC+3
Report
Stadium: Basra International Stadium
Attendance: 64,447
Referee: Ahmed Eisa (United Arab Emirates)
21 November 2023 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers Vietnam  0–1  Iraq Hanoi, Vietnam
15:00 UTC+3
Stadium: Mỹ Đình National Stadium
Referee: Abdulla Al-Marri (Qatar)

2024

19 January 2024 AFC Asian Cup Iraq  v  Japan Al Rayyan, Qatar
14:30 UTC+3 Stadium: Education City Stadium
24 January 2024 AFC Asian Cup Iraq  v  Vietnam Al Rayyan, Qatar
14:30 UTC+3 Stadium: Jassim bin Hamad Stadium
21 March 2024 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers Iraq  v  Philippines Iraq
--:-- UTC+3 Stadium: TBA
26 March 2024 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers Philippines  v  Iraq Philippines
--:-- UTC+3 Stadium: TBA
6 June 2024 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers Indonesia  v  Iraq Indonesia
--:-- UTC+3 Stadium: TBA
11 June 2024 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers Iraq  v  Vietnam Iraq
--:-- UTC+3 Stadium: TBA

All-time results

As of 26 March 2023

Coaching staff

As of 6 November 2022.[81]

Position Name
Head coach Spain Jesús Casas
Assistant coaches Spain Alejandro Varela
Spain Salva Romero
Goalkeeping coach Spain David Valle
Fitness coaches Spain Javier Sánchez Benavent
Spain Manuel Salado
Match analyst Spain Pablo Grandes
Interpreter Egypt Mohammad Abdul Hafeth
Team manager Iraq Mahdi Karim
Chief medical officer Iraq Abdul Karim Al-Saffar
Media coordinator Iraq Mohammed Imad Zubair

Players

Current squad

The following 26 players were called up for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.[82]

Caps and goals correct as of 6 January 2024, after the game against  South Korea.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
12 1GK Jalal Hassan (captain) (1991-05-18) 18 May 1991 76 0 Iraq Al-Zawraa
1 1GK Fahad Talib (1994-10-21) 21 October 1994 19 0 Iran Sanat Naft Abadan
22 1GK Ahmed Basil (1996-08-19) 19 August 1996 4 0 Iraq Al-Shorta
6 2DF Ali Adnan (1993-12-19) 19 December 1993 91 7 Iran Mes Rafsanjan
2 2DF Rebin Sulaka (1992-04-12) 12 April 1992 34 0 Sweden Brommapojkarna
4 2DF Saad Natiq (1994-03-19) 19 March 1994 34 0 Saudi Arabia Abha
5 2DF Frans Putros (1993-07-14) 14 July 1993 14 0 Thailand Port
23 2DF Merchas Doski (1999-12-07) 7 December 1999 10 0 Czech Republic Slovácko
24 2DF Zaid Tahseen (2001-01-29) 29 January 2001 5 0 Iraq Al-Talaba
3 2DF Hussein Ali (2002-03-01) 1 March 2002 5 0 Netherlands Heerenveen
25 2DF Ahmed Yahya (1997-05-27) 27 May 1997 4 0 Iraq Al-Shorta
15 2DF Allan Mohideen (1993-11-11) 11 November 1993 2 0 Sweden Utsikten
14 2DF Akam Hashim (1998-08-16) 16 August 1998 0 0 Iraq Erbil
13 3MF Bashar Resan (1996-12-22) 22 December 1996 60 4 Qatar Qatar
8 3MF Ibrahim Bayesh (2000-05-01) 1 May 2000 47 6 Iraq Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
20 3MF Osama Rashid (1992-01-13) 13 January 1992 30 1 Portugal Vizela
16 3MF Amir Al-Ammari (1997-07-27) 27 July 1997 24 1 Sweden Halmstad
11 3MF Zidane Iqbal (2003-04-27) 27 April 2003 5 0 Netherlands Utrecht
17 3MF Ali Jasim (2004-01-20) 20 January 2004 5 0 Iraq Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
21 3MF Ahmad Allée (1996-04-29) 29 April 1996 3 0 France Rouen
19 3MF Danilo Al-Saed (1999-02-24) 24 February 1999 3 0 Norway Sandefjord
7 3MF Youssef Amyn (2003-08-21) 21 August 2003 2 1 Germany Eintracht Braunschweig
26 3MF Montader Madjed (2005-04-24) 24 April 2005 1 0 Sweden Hammarby
18 4FW Aymen Hussein (1996-03-22) 22 March 1996 69 17 Iraq Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
10 4FW Mohanad Ali (2000-06-20) 20 June 2000 41 18 Iraq Al-Shorta
9 4FW Ali Al-Hamadi (2002-03-01) 1 March 2002 11 3 England AFC Wimbledon

Recent call-ups

The following players have been called up within the last 12 months and remain eligible for selection.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Ali Ebadi (2000-02-16) 16 February 2000 0 0 Iraq Al-Kahrabaa Training camp, June 2023PRE
DF Mustafa Nadhim (1993-09-23) 23 September 1993 43 4 Iraq Al-Zawraa v.  Vietnam, 21 November 2023
DF Mustafa Saadoun (2001-05-25) 25 May 2001 2 0 Iraq Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya v.  Vietnam, 21 November 2023
DF Manaf Younis (1996-11-16) 16 November 1996 15 1 Iraq Al-Shorta 2023 Jordan International Tournament
DF Masies Artien (1993-08-08) 8 August 1993 1 0 Netherlands Spakenburg 2023 Jordan International Tournament
DF Ali Faez (1994-09-09) 9 September 1994 48 4 Iraq Al-Talaba v.  Colombia, 16 June 2023
DF Alai Ghasem (2003-02-16) 16 February 2003 8 0 Sweden Göteborg v.  Colombia, 16 June 2023INJ
DF Mohanad Jeahze (1997-04-10) 10 April 1997 4 0 United States D.C. United Training camp, June 2023PRE
DF Hammoud Mishaan (1998-07-25) 25 July 1998 0 0 Iraq Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Training camp, June 2023PRE
DF Mustafa Mohammed (1998-01-14) 14 January 1998 16 0 Iraq Al-Zawraa v.  Russia, 26 March 2023
DF Hassan Raed (2000-09-23) 23 September 2000 11 0 Iraq Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya v.  Russia, 26 March 2023
DF Hamza Adnan (1996-02-08) 8 February 1996 6 0 Iraq Al-Minaa v.  Russia, 26 March 2023
DF Hussein Ammar (2001-06-16) 16 June 2001 4 0 Iraq Al-Talaba v.  Russia, 26 March 2023
MF Amjad Attwan (1997-03-12) 12 March 1997 77 4 Iraq Zakho 2023 AFC Asian CupINI INJ
MF Hussein Ali Al-Saedi (1996-11-29) 29 November 1996 50 6 Iraq Al-Shorta v.  Vietnam, 21 November 2023
MF Hasan Abdulkareem (1999-04-17) 17 April 1999 13 1 Iraq Al-Zawraa v.  Vietnam, 21 November 2023
MF Ali Hayder (2005-10-01) 1 October 2005 1 0 England Stoke City Academy 2023 Jordan International Tournament
MF Ahmed Farhan (1999-01-01) 1 January 1999 9 0 Iraq Al-Shorta 2023 Jordan International TournamentINJ
MF André Alsanati (2000-01-06) 6 January 2000 1 0 Sweden Sirius 2023 King's Cup
MF Humam Tariq (1996-02-10) 10 February 1996 75 3 Iraq Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya v.  Colombia, 16 June 2023
MF Sherko Karim (1996-05-25) 25 May 1996 22 1 Iraq Erbil v.  Colombia, 16 June 2023
MF Kevin Yakob (2000-10-10) 10 October 2000 1 0 Denmark AGF v.  Colombia, 16 June 2023
MF Moammel Abdulridha (2000-03-28) 28 March 2000 3 0 Iraq Al-Talaba Training camp, June 2023PRE
MF Bassam Shakir (2000-05-17) 17 May 2000 2 0 Iraq Al-Shorta Training camp, June 2023PRE
MF Sumar Almadjed (1996-03-13) 13 March 1996 0 0 Sweden Helsingborg Training camp, June 2023PRE
MF Abdul-Razzaq Qasim (2003-02-19) 19 February 2003 0 0 Iraq Al-Shorta Training camp, June 2023PRE
MF Mohammed Ali Abbood (2000-10-01) 1 October 2000 15 0 Iraq Al-Zawraa v.  Russia, 26 March 2023
MF Karrar Nabeel (1998-01-16) 16 January 1998 4 0 Iraq Al-Talaba v.  Russia, 26 March 2023
MF Louaï El Ani (1997-07-12) 12 July 1997 1 0 Iraq Al-Talaba v.  Russia, 26 March 2023
MF Alexander Aoraha (2003-01-17) 17 January 2003 1 0 England Queens Park Rangers v.  Russia, 26 March 2023
FW Pashang Abdulla (1994-05-29) 29 May 1994 3 0 Sweden Degerfors v.  Vietnam, 21 November 2023
FW Amin Al-Hamawi (2003-12-17) 17 December 2003 2 0 Sweden Helsingborg 2023 King's Cup
FW Alaa Abbas (1997-07-27) 27 July 1997 27 4 Iraq Al-Zawraa Training camp, June 2023PRE
FW Aso Rostam (1994-12-01) 1 December 1994 7 1 Iraq Erbil v.  Russia, 26 March 2023

SUS Player suspended
INJ Player injured
PRE Player was named in preliminary squad
RET Player retired from the national team
WD Player withdrew for non-injury related reasons
INI Player was initially named in the squad, but was forced to withdraw before playing

Records

As of 6 January 2023.[83]
Players in bold are still active and available for selection.

Most capped players

Younis Mahmoud is Iraq's all-time most capped player, having played in 148 official matches.
Rank Player Caps Goals Career
1Younis Mahmoud148572002–2016
2Hussein Saeed137781976–1990
3Alaa Abdul-Zahra126172007–2021
4Adnan Dirjal12181978–1990
Ahmed Radhi121621982–1997
6Ahmed Ibrahim11852010–2022
7Hawar Mulla Mohammed113202001–2012
Nashat Akram113172001–2013
Ali Rehema11322005–2016
10Mahdi Karim110112001–2018

Top goalscorers

Hussein Saeed is Iraq's all-time leading goalscorer, having scored 78 goals in 137 official matches.
Rank Player Goals Caps Ratio Career
1Hussein Saeed781370.571976–1990
2Ahmed Radhi621210.511982–1997
3Younis Mahmoud571480.392002–2016
4Ali Kadhim35820.431970–1980
5Falah Hassan291030.281970–1986
6Emad Mohammed271030.262001–2012
7Razzaq Farhan25620.41998–2007
8Laith Hussein21800.261986–2002
9Hawar Mulla Mohammed201130.182001–2012
10Husham Mohammed19430.441998–2004

Competitive record

Overview
Event 1st place 2nd place 3rd place 4th place
FIFA World Cup 0 0 0 0
FIFA Confederations Cup 0 0 0 0
AFC Asian Cup 1 0 0 2
Total 1 0 0 2

FIFA World Cup

AFC Asian Cup

FIFA Confederations Cup

Summer Olympics

Asian Games

Regional competitions

WAFF Championship

FIFA Arab Cup

Arabian Gulf Cup

West Asian Games

Arab Games

Minor tournaments

Head-to-head record

The list shown below shows the Iraq national football team all−time international record against opposing nations.[84][85]

Key
  Positive balance (more wins than losses)
  Neutral balance (as many wins as losses)
  Negative balance (more losses than wins)
Iraq national football team head-to-head records
Team Confederation First GP W D L GF GA GD
 AfghanistanAFC1975220071+6
 AlgeriaCAF1973732193+6
 ArgentinaCONMEBOL2018100104−4
 AustraliaAFC197311227814−6
 AzerbaijanUEFA2009110010+1
 BahrainAFC196632131454626+20
 BelgiumUEFA1986100112−1
 BoliviaCONMEBOL20181010000
 BotswanaCAF20121010110
 BrazilCONMEBOL2012100106−6
 CambodiaAFC2019220081+7
 ChileCONMEBOL2013100106−6
 ChinaAFC1974179262018+2
 Chinese TaipeiAFC19745500183+15
 ColombiaCONMEBOL2023100101−1
 CyprusUEFA2005100112−1
 DR CongoCAF2015220031+2
 EcuadorCONMEBOL20221010000
 EgyptCAF1972703417−6
 EstoniaUEFA19991010110
 EthiopiaCAF19921100130+13
 FinlandUEFA1979220030+3
 GuineaCAF1989100101−1
 Hong KongAFC2019220030+3
 IndiaAFC19747430134+9
 IndonesiaAFC19738710224+18
 IranAFC19622866162137−16
 JapanAFC1978133371019−9
 JordanAFC196446241397046+24
 KazakhstanUEFA1997402247−3
 KenyaCAF2003220041+2
 KyrgyzstanAFC1999220091+8
 KuwaitAFC196435171084935+14
 LiberiaCAF2013100101−1
 LebanonAFC195918981249+15
 LibyaCAF196411731176+11
 MacauAFC20012200130+13
 MalaysiaAFC19747430123+9
 MauritaniaCAF1985110020+2
 MexicoCONCACAF1986200205−5
 MoldovaUEFA1992110010+1
 MoroccoCAF1966724163+3
 MyanmarAFC20034400130+7
 North KoreaAFC19749612115+6
   NepalAFC19824400225+17
 New ZealandOFC1973321060+6
 OmanAFC19762813964625+21
 PakistanAFC19699711406+34
 ParaguayCONMEBOL1986100101−1
 PalestineAFC2002161330376+31
 PeruCONMEBOL2014100102−2
 PolandUEFA1970512237−4
 QatarAFC197633151084131+10
 RomaniaUEFA19702020110
 RussiaUEFA2023100102–2
 Saudi ArabiaAFC197636179105531+24
 Sierra LeoneCAF2012110010+1
 SingaporeAFC19786501205+15
 South AfricaCAF20091010000
 South KoreaAFC19722011271324−11
 SpainUEFA2009100101−1
 SudanCAF20122020330
 SyriaAFC196633171154625+20
 TajikistanAFC1999211021+1
 ThailandAFC19721810624720+27
 Trinidad and TobagoCONCACAF1972100102−2
 TunisiaCAF19577034410−6
 TurkeyUEFA1969301218–7
 TurkmenistanAFC1999220062+4
 UgandaCAF1977312032+1
 United Arab EmiratesAFC197330111274329+14
 UzbekistanAFC199711335810-2
 VietnamAFC2007541083+5
 YemenAFC1993141130357+28
 ZambiaCAF2022110031+2
Total7203372061771147668+473
Last match updated was against  Vietnam Vietnam on 21 November 2023.

FIFA Rankings

Last update was on 26 November 2023
Source:[86]

  Best Ranking    Worst Ranking    Best Mover    Worst Mover  

Iraq's FIFA World Ranking
Rank Year Games
Played		 Best Worst
Rank Move Rank Move
63 2023 14 63 Increase 5 70 Decrease 2
68 2022 11 68 Increase 2 74 Decrease 0
75 2021 17 68 Increase 1 75 Decrease 3
6920202 69Increase 170Decrease 0
70201922 70Increase 880Decrease 2
88201812 82Increase 291Decrease 5
79201714 79Increase 17122Decrease 3
119201612 87Increase 15128Decrease 15
89201516 82Increase 20114Decrease 11
103201411 81Increase 15115Decrease 23
110201319 89Increase 3110Decrease 6
92201220 70Increase 697Decrease 17
78201120 78Increase 16109Decrease 13
100201015 80Increase 13107Decrease 24
88200913 77Increase 9100Decrease 17
72200812 58Increase 1577Decrease 18
68200720 64Increase 1684Decrease 5
83200614 52Increase 592Decrease 36
54200510 44Increase 2074Decrease 11
44200421 39Increase 345Decrease 6
43200312 43Increase 2375Decrease 13
53200210 50Increase 972Decrease 3
72200118 69Increase 1685Decrease 4
79200011 78Increase 989Decrease 8
78199913 78Increase 16108Decrease 5
9419981 70Increase 7101Decrease 13
6819979 68Increase 1398Decrease 2
9819967 98Increase 31139Decrease 15
11019953 76Increase 26110Decrease 28
8819940 61Increase 488Decrease 8
65199315 57Increase 2566Decrease 5

Honours

This is a list of honours for the senior Iraq national team
Iraq's starting line-up against Saudi Arabia in the 2007 AFC Asian Cup Final, a match they won 1–0.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking". FIFA. 21 December 2023. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  2. ↑ "Iraq 2-0 Hong Kong: Iraq hosts competitive football for first time in eight years". BBC. 10 October 2019.
  3. ↑ Peter, Ashish (30 December 2018). "AFC Asian Cup 2019: Group D Preview - Iran, Iraq, Vietnam and Yemen". Goal.com.
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  5. ↑ "Iraq celebrates Gulf Cup football win as it returns to hosting international tournaments". Middle East Eye. 20 January 2023.
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