# 2023–24 Iraq Stars League

The 2023–24 Iraq Stars League was the 50th season of the highest tier football league in Iraq since its establishment in 1974, and the first season since launching as a professional league under the name Iraq Stars League. The season started on 26 October 2023 and ended on 14 July 2024, with the post-season play-offs held from 19–24 July 2024.
Al-Shorta won the league title for the third season in a row, sealing the title in the penultimate round of the season by defeating Duhok 1–0. Al-Shorta also won the Iraq FA Cup title to secure the double.

## Overview

20 teams competed in the 2023–24 Iraq Stars League: 18 teams from the 2022–23 Iraqi Premier League, as well as Al-Minaa and Amanat Baghdad who were promoted from the 2022–23 Iraqi First Division League and both returned to the top tier after a one-year absence.

## Teams
### Clubs and locations

| Team | Manager | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
| Al-Hudood | Adel Nima | Baghdad | Al-Saher Ahmed Radhi Stadium | 5,150 |
| Al-Kahrabaa | Luay Salah | Baghdad | Al-Zawraa Stadium | 15,443 |
| Al-Karkh | Haitham Shaaban | Baghdad | Al-Saher Ahmed Radhi Stadium | 5,150 |
| Al-Minaa | Hassan Ahmed | Basra | Al-Minaa Olympic Stadium | 30,000 |
| Al-Naft | Basim Qasim | Baghdad | Al-Madina Stadium | 32,000 |
| Al-Najaf | Abdul-Ghani Shahad | Najaf | Al-Najaf International Stadium | 30,000 |
| Al-Qasim | Ayman Hakeem | Babil | Karbala International Stadium | 30,000 |
| Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya | Razzaq Farhan | Baghdad | Al-Shaab Stadium | 35,700 |
| Al-Shorta | Moamen Soliman | Baghdad | Al-Shaab Stadium | 35,700 |
| Al-Talaba | Qahtan Chathir | Baghdad | Al-Shaab Stadium | 35,700 |
| Al-Zawraa | Essam Hamad | Baghdad | Al-Zawraa Stadium | 15,443 |
| Amanat Baghdad | Abbas Obeid | Baghdad | Al-Madina Stadium | 32,000 |
| Duhok | Ahmed Khalaf | Duhok | Duhok Stadium | 22,800 |
| Erbil | Samir Babo | Erbil | Franso Hariri Stadium | 25,000 |
| Karbala | Chasib Sultan | Karbala | Karbala International Stadium | 30,000 |
| Naft Al-Basra | Haitham Al-Shaboul | Basra | Al-Minaa Olympic Stadium | 30,000 |
| Naft Al-Wasat | Emad Aoda | Najaf | Al-Najaf International Stadium | 30,000 |
| Naft Maysan | Ali Abdul-Jabbar | Maysan | Maysan Olympic Stadium | 25,000 |
| Newroz | Nizar Mahrous | Sulaymaniya | Sulaymaniya Stadium | 15,000 |
| Zakho | Talal Al-Bloushi | Duhok | Zakho International Stadium | 20,000 |

## League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Al-Shorta (C) | 38 | 26 | 9 | 3 | 76 | 36 | +40 | 87 | Qualification for the AFC Champions League Elite league stage |
| 2 | Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya | 38 | 24 | 10 | 4 | 68 | 32 | +36 | 82 | Qualification for the AFC Champions League Two group stage |
| 3 | Al-Zawraa | 38 | 21 | 12 | 5 | 54 | 23 | +31 | 75 | Qualification for the regional competition play-offs |
| 4 | Al-Najaf | 38 | 19 | 10 | 9 | 45 | 28 | +17 | 67 | Qualification for the regional competition play-offs |
| 5 | Zakho | 38 | 17 | 16 | 5 | 37 | 20 | +17 | 67 | Qualification for the regional competition play-offs |
| 6 | Duhok | 38 | 14 | 16 | 8 | 41 | 33 | +8 | 58 | Qualification for the AGCFF Gulf Club Champions League group stage via the regional competition play-offs |
| 7 | Newroz | 38 | 15 | 11 | 12 | 61 | 49 | +12 | 56 | |
| 8 | Al-Talaba | 38 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 40 | 38 | +2 | 53 | |
| 9 | Al-Hudood | 38 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 38 | 47 | −9 | 50 | |
| 10 | Naft Maysan | 38 | 10 | 17 | 11 | 41 | 40 | +1 | 47 | |
| 11 | Al-Naft | 38 | 10 | 16 | 12 | 37 | 44 | −7 | 46 | |
| 12 | Al-Minaa | 38 | 10 | 12 | 16 | 38 | 59 | −21 | 42 | |
| 13 | Al-Kahrabaa | 38 | 8 | 17 | 13 | 47 | 51 | −4 | 41 | |
| 14 | Erbil | 38 | 9 | 14 | 15 | 46 | 50 | −4 | 41 | |
| 15 | Al-Karkh | 38 | 7 | 18 | 13 | 36 | 45 | −9 | 39 | |
| 16 | Karbala | 38 | 8 | 13 | 17 | 39 | 60 | −21 | 37 | |
| 17 | Al-Qasim | 38 | 8 | 14 | 16 | 42 | 53 | −11 | 35 | Qualification for the relegation play-out round |
| 18 | Naft Al-Basra | 38 | 8 | 10 | 20 | 29 | 46 | −17 | 34 | Qualification for the relegation play-out round |
| 19 | Amanat Baghdad (R) | 38 | 6 | 13 | 19 | 33 | 53 | −20 | 31 | Relegation to the Iraqi Premier Division League |
| 20 | Naft Al-Wasat (R) | 38 | 1 | 13 | 24 | 24 | 65 | −41 | 16 | Relegation to the Iraqi Premier Division League |
* ↑ Since the winners of the 2023–24 Iraq FA Cup, Al-Shorta, qualified for the AFC Champions League Elite based on league position, the AFC Champions League Two spot was passed to the league runners-up Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya.
* 1 2 Al-Najaf finished ahead of Zakho on head-to-head points: Zakho 1–1 Al-Najaf, Al-Najaf 2–1 Zakho.
* 1 2 Al-Kahrabaa finished ahead of Erbil on head-to-head goal difference: Erbil 1–0 Al-Kahrabaa, Al-Kahrabaa 3–1 Erbil.
* ↑ Al-Qasim were deducted three points for withdrawing from their match with Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya.

## Results

| Home \ Away | HUD | KAH | KKH | MIN | NFT | NJF | QSM | QWJ | SHR | TLB | ZWR | AMN | DHK | ERB | KRB | NFB | NFW | NFM | NEW | ZAK |
| Al-Hudood | | 0–0 | 3–2 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 0–3 | 3–3 | 0–3 | 0–4 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 0–0 |
| Al-Kahrabaa | 1–1 | | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 0–3 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–3 |
| Al-Karkh | 0–1 | 3–3 | | 4–1 | 0–0 | 0–3 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 1–4 | 1–1 | 0–3 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 0–1 |
| Al-Minaa | 1–1 | 1–3 | 1–3 | | 0–0 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 0–3 | 0–0 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 0–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 3–0 | 1–4 | 0–2 |
| Al-Naft | 0–2 | 3–2 | 2–2 | 1–1 | | 2–1 | 3–2 | 1–4 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 0–0 |
| Al-Najaf | 1–0 | 1–0 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 1–0 | | 1–0 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 |
| Al-Qasim | 1–0 | 3–3 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 2–3 | 1–2 | | 1–1 | 2–3 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 3–0 | 2–2 | 0–3 | 0–1 | 0–0 |
| Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya | 3–2 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 3–0 | | 2–2 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 |
| Al-Shorta | 2–0 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | | 3–2 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 3–0 | 4–4 | 2–0 |
| Al-Talaba | 0–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 2–1 | | 0–1 | 3–2 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 2–3 | 1–2 | 0–4 | 1–0 | 1–1 |
| Al-Zawraa | 2–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | | 0–0 | 3–0 | 3–0 | 5–2 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 |
| Amanat Baghdad | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 0–2 | 1–2 | | 2–2 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–0 |
| Duhok | 0–0 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 4–4 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 2–0 | | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 0–0 |
| Erbil | 0–0 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 1–4 | 2–4 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 4–1 | 1–1 | | 4–1 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 |
| Karbala | 1–1 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 0–2 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 0–3 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 3–5 | | 2–2 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 2–4 | 0–1 |
| Naft Al-Basra | 1–2 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 2–3 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 | | 1–0 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 0–2 |
| Naft Al-Wasat | 1–2 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 0–4 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 0–2 | | 0–2 | 0–4 | 1–2 |
| Naft Maysan | 1–1 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 2–3 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 0–3 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 1–2 | 0–0 | | 2–2 | 2–0 |
| Newroz | 2–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 3–1 | 0–3 | 2–1 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 3–2 | 0–1 | 4–4 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 4–3 | 0–0 | | 0–2 |
| Zakho | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–0 | 3–1 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 | |
* ↑ The Al-Minaa–Al-Shorta match was awarded as a 3–0 win to Al-Shorta, as Al-Minaa started the game with only seven players and had their player Mohammed Khudhair go off injured in the eighth minute while Al-Shorta were leading 1–0.
* ↑ The Al-Qasim–Naft Al-Basra match originally ended 0–0 but was changed to a 3–0 win for Al-Qasim due to Naft Al-Basra involving the player Qasim Mohammed, who had not been included in the squad list submitted for the match.
* ↑ The Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya–Al-Qasim match was awarded as a 3–0 win to Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, after Al-Qasim withdrew from the game in protest at the referee awarding a penalty to Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya in the 32nd minute while the score was 0–0.

## Regional competition play-offs

The four teams that finished 3rd to 6th competed in a play-off tournament to decide Iraq's participant in the 2024–25 AGCFF Gulf Club Champions League. If a match ended in a draw after 90 minutes, there would be no extra time played and the game would go straight to a penalty shootout.

### Play-off final

Duhok qualified for the 2024–25 AGCFF Gulf Club Champions League.

## Relegation play-offs
### Play-out round

The 17th and 18th-placed teams competed in a play-off, with the winner remaining in the Stars League and the loser advancing to the relegation play-off.
If the scores were level after 90 minutes, 30 minutes of extra time would be played. If the scores were still level after extra time, the 18th-placed team would advance to the relegation play-off due to their inferior league position.

### Relegation play-off

The loser of the play-out round competed in a play-off with the 3rd-placed team from the Premier Division League for a place in next season's Stars League. If the match ended in a draw after 90 minutes, there would be no extra time played and the game would go straight to a penalty shootout.
Al-Qasim remained in the Iraq Stars League, while Peshmerga Sulaymaniya remained in the Iraqi Premier Division League.

## Season statistics
### Top scorers

| Rank | Player | Team | Goals |
| 1 | Aymen Hussein | Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya | 27 |
| 2 | Mahmoud Al-Mawas | Al-Shorta | 20 |
| 3 | Alaa Al Dali | Naft Maysan | 18 |
| 3 | Ibrahim Ghazi | Al-Hudood | 18 |
| 5 | Mohanad Ali | Al-Shorta | 16 |
| 5 | Ibrahim Tomiwa | Newroz | 16 |
| 5 | Mohammed Qasim Nassif | Erbil | 16 |

#### Hat-tricks

| Player | For | Against | Result | Date |
| Alaa Al Dali | Naft Maysan | Al-Talaba | 4–0 (A) | 4 November 2023 |
| Alaa Al Dali | Naft Maysan | Al-Minaa | 3–0 (H) | 1 December 2023 |
| Aymen Hussein | Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya | Al-Minaa | 4–2 (H) | 10 February 2024 |
| Okiki Afolabi | Al-Naft | Naft Al-Wasat | 4–0 (A) | 17 February 2024 |
| Mohammed Qasim Nassif | Erbil | Karbala | 5–3 (A) | 19 February 2024 |
| Aymen Hussein | Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya | Al-Naft | 4–1 (A) | 4 March 2024 |
| Marwan Hussein | Newroz | Al-Minaa | 4–1 (A) | 25 April 2024 |
| Ibrahim Tomiwa | Newroz | Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya | 4–2 (H) | 31 May 2024 |
| William Jebor$^4$ | Al-Minaa | Naft Al-Wasat | 4–2 (H) | 18 June 2024 |

##### Notes

$^4$ Player scored 4 goals (H) – Home team (A) – Away team

## Awards

| Award | Winner | Club |
| Player of the Season | Mahmoud Al-Mawas | Al-Shorta |
| Goal of the Season | Bassam Shakir | Al-Shorta |