# Football in Iraq

The sport of football in the country of Iraq is run by the Iraq Football Association. The association administers the national football team as well as the Iraqi football league system. Football is the most popular sport 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.
| # | Stadium | Location | Current Capacity | Sport | Home team(s) | Year Built | Coordinates |
| 1 | Basra International Stadium | Basra | 65,227 | Football | Iraq national football team | 2013 | 30°26′23.6″N 47°46′47.3″E﻿ / ﻿30.439889°N 47.779806°E﻿ / 30.439889; 47.779806﻿ (Basra International Stadium) |
| 2 | Al-Shaab Stadium | Baghdad | 35,700 | Football | Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, Al-Shorta SC, Al-Talaba SC | 1966 | 33°19′29.53″N 44°26′07.09″E﻿ / ﻿33.3248694°N 44.4353028°E﻿ / 33.3248694; 44.4353028﻿ (Al-Shaab Stadium) |
| 3 | Al-Madina Stadium | Al Habibya, Baghdad | 32,000 | Football | Iraq national football team | 2021 | 33°21′15.8″N 44°27′20.1″E﻿ / ﻿33.354389°N 44.455583°E﻿ / 33.354389; 44.455583﻿ (Al-Madina Stadium) |
| 4 | Karbala International Stadium | Karbala | 30,000 | Football | Karbala SC | 2016 | 32°33′53.4″N 44°00′15.4″E﻿ / ﻿32.564833°N 44.004278°E﻿ / 32.564833; 44.004278﻿ (Karbala International Stadium) |
| 5 | Al-Najaf International Stadium | Najaf | 30,000 | Football | Al-Najaf SC, Naft Al-Wasat SC | 2018 | 32°03′58.7″N 44°19′01″E﻿ / ﻿32.066306°N 44.31694°E﻿ / 32.066306; 44.31694﻿ (Al-Najaf International Stadium) |
| 6 | Al-Minaa Olympic Stadium | Basra | 30,000 | Football | Al-Minaa SC | 2022 | 30°33′08.6″N 47°46′41.5″E﻿ / ﻿30.552389°N 47.778194°E﻿ / 30.552389; 47.778194﻿ (Al-Minaa Olympic Stadium) |
| 7 | Franso Hariri Stadium | Erbil | 25,000 | Football | Erbil SC | 1956 | 36°10′21.1″N 44°00′42″E﻿ / ﻿36.172528°N 44.01167°E﻿ / 36.172528; 44.01167﻿ (Franso Hariri Stadium) |
| 8 | Kirkuk Olympic Stadium | Kirkuk | 25,000 | Football | Kirkuk SC | 1982 | 35°26′35.4″N 44°25′16.7″E﻿ / ﻿35.443167°N 44.421306°E﻿ / 35.443167; 44.421306﻿ (Kirkuk Olympic Stadium) |
| 9 | Maysan Stadium | Amarah | 25,000 | Football | Naft Maysan SC, Maysan SC | 1987 | 31°50′07.2″N 47°07′37.1″E﻿ / ﻿31.835333°N 47.126972°E﻿ / 31.835333; 47.126972﻿ (Maysan Stadium) |
| 10 | Duhok Stadium | Duhok | 22,800 | Football | Duhok SC | 1986 | 36°51′06.9″N 42°59′47.1″E﻿ / ﻿36.851917°N 42.996417°E﻿ / 36.851917; 42.996417﻿ (Duhok Stadium) |
| 11 | Zakho International Stadium | Zakho | 20,000 | Football | Zakho SC | 2015 | 37°08′45.5″N 42°40′20″E﻿ / ﻿37.145972°N 42.67222°E﻿ / 37.145972; 42.67222﻿ (Zakho Stadium) |
| 12 | Al-Kut Olympic Stadium | Al Kut | 20,000 | Football | Al-Kut SC | 2018 | 32°30′08.6″N 45°50′06.2″E﻿ / ﻿32.502389°N 45.835056°E﻿ / 32.502389; 45.835056﻿ (Al-Kut Olympic Stadium) |
| 13 | Sulaymaniyah Stadium | Sulaymaniyah | 18,000 | Football | Sulaymaniyah SC, Newroz SC | | 35°32′59.4″N 45°25′44.4″E﻿ / ﻿35.549833°N 45.429000°E﻿ / 35.549833; 45.429000﻿ (Sulaymaniyah Stadium) |
| 14 | Al-Zawraa Stadium | Baghdad | 15,443 | Football | Al-Zawraa SC | 2022 | 33°20′39.2″N 44°22′05.5″E﻿ / ﻿33.344222°N 44.368194°E﻿ / 33.344222; 44.368194﻿ (Al-Zawraa Stadium) |
| 15 | Al Ramadi Stadium | Ramadi | 15,000 | Football | Al-Ramadi SC, Al-Fahad SC | | 33°25′13.4″N 43°19′18.3″E﻿ / ﻿33.420389°N 43.321750°E﻿ / 33.420389; 43.321750﻿ (Al-Ramadi Stadium) |
| 16 | Al-Samawah Stadium | Al Muthanna | 15,000 | Football | Al-Samawa SC, Uruk SC | | 31°19′58.9″N 45°17′20.2″E﻿ / ﻿31.333028°N 45.288944°E﻿ / 31.333028; 45.288944﻿ (Al-Samawah Stadium) |
| 17 | Al-Kashafa Stadium | Al Kasrah, Baghdad | 14,000 | Football | | 1931 | 33°21′34″N 44°22′49.5″E﻿ / ﻿33.35944°N 44.380417°E﻿ / 33.35944; 44.380417﻿ (Al-Kashafa Stadium) |
| 18 | Al Fayhaa Stadium | Basra | 10,000 | Football | Naft Al-Basra SC, Al-Minaa SC | 2013 | 30°26′33.3″N 47°46′47.3″E﻿ / ﻿30.442583°N 47.779806°E﻿ / 30.442583; 47.779806﻿ (Al Fayhaa Stadium) |
| 19 | Al-Najaf old Stadium | Najaf | 10,000 | Football | Al-Najaf SC | 1970 | 32°00′43.6″N 44°19′39.9″E﻿ / ﻿32.012111°N 44.327750°E﻿ / 32.012111; 44.327750﻿ (Al-Najaf old stadium) |
| 20 | Suq Al-Shuyukh Stadium | Dhi Qar | 10,000 | Football | Al-Furat SC, Suq Al-Shuyukh SC | 2015 | 30°54′12.6″N 46°27′09.4″E﻿ / ﻿30.903500°N 46.452611°E﻿ / 30.903500; 46.452611﻿ (Suq Al-Shuyukh Stadium) |
| 21 | Delal Stadium | Zakho | 10,000 | Football | Zakho SC | | 37°10′06.3″N 42°41′30.2″E﻿ / ﻿37.168417°N 42.691722°E﻿ / 37.168417; 42.691722﻿ (Delal Stadium) |
| 22 | Al Aziziyah Stadium | Wasit | 10,000 | Football | Al-Aziziyah SC | 2019 | 32°50′41.7″N 45°08′09.3″E﻿ / ﻿32.844917°N 45.135917°E﻿ / 32.844917; 45.135917﻿ (Al-Aziziyah Stadium) |
| 23 | Al-Nasiriyah Stadium | Nasiriyah | 10,000 | Football | Al-Nasiriya SC, Akkad SC | | 31°01′17.8″N 46°15′04.7″E﻿ / ﻿31.021611°N 46.251306°E﻿ / 31.021611; 46.251306﻿ (Al-Nasiriyah Stadium) |
| 24 | Ba'quba Stadium | Baqubah | 10,000 | Football | Diyala SC | | 33°44′53.1″N 44°39′27.1″E﻿ / ﻿33.748083°N 44.657528°E﻿ / 33.748083; 44.657528﻿ (Ba'quba Stadium) |
| 25 | Tikrit Stadium | Tikrit | 10,000 | Football | Salahaddin SC, Tikrit SC | | 34°35′46.6″N 43°41′01.7″E﻿ / ﻿34.596278°N 43.683806°E﻿ / 34.596278; 43.683806﻿ (Tikrit Stadium) |

## 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, before Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya won Asia's second-tier tournament, the AFC Cup, three consecutive times in 2016, 2017 and 2018.