Iraq national football team

Iraq

Nickname(s)	Usood al-Rafidayn (Lions of Mesopotamia)
Association	Iraq Football Association (IFA)
Confederation	AFC (Asia)
Sub-confederation	WAFF (West Asia)
Head coach	Jesús Casas
Captain	Jalal Hassan
Most caps	Younis Mahmoud (148)
Top scorer	Hussein Saeed (78)
Home stadium	Basra International Stadium
FIFA code	IRQ
First colours Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	56 (19 December 2024)[1]
Highest	39 (6 October 2004)
Lowest	139 (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
Appearances	1 (first in 1986)
Best result	Group stage (1986)
Asian Cup
Appearances	10 (first in 1972)
Best result	Champions (2007)
Arab Cup
Appearances	6 (first in 1964)
Best result	Champions (1964, 1966, 1985, 1988)
WAFF Championship
Appearances	8 (first in 2000)
Best result	Champions (2002)
Arabian Gulf Cup
Appearances	17 (first in 1976)
Best result	Champions (1979, 1984, 1988, 2023)
Confederations Cup
Appearances	1 (first in 2009)
Best result	Group stage (2009)
Medal record AFC Asian Cup 2007 Indonesia/Malaysia /Thailand/Vietnam Team Asian Games 1982 New Delhi Team WAFF Championship 2002 Syria Team 2007 Jordan Team 2012 Kuwait Team 2019 Iraq Team 2000 Jordan Team Arab Cup 1964 Kuwait Team 1966 Iraq Team 1985 Saudi Arabia Team 1988 Jordan Team 2012 Saudi Arabia Team Arabian Gulf Cup 1979 Iraq Team 1984 Oman Team 1988 Saudi Arabia Team 2023 Iraq Team 1976 Qatar Team 2013 Bahrain Team West Asian Games 2005 Doha Team Arab Games 1985 Rabat Team 1999 Amman Team

The Iraq national football team (Arabic: منتخب الْعِرَاق لِكُرَةُ الْقَدَم) represents Iraq in men's 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.^[3]

Iraq have made one FIFA World Cup appearance in 1986, scoring a solitary goal against Belgium. Iraq 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; they later finished fourth at the 2015 AFC Asian Cup.^[4]

Iraq are the Arab Cup's most successful team with four titles, and have also won the Arabian Gulf Cup four times and the WAFF Championship once.^[5] Iraq is known for its passionate football fans and the national team is seen as a symbol of hope and unity for Iraqi people.^[6] The team reached its highest FIFA World Ranking of 39th in October 2004.^[7]

On 8 October 1948, the Iraq Football Association was founded.^[8] 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.^[9][8] 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.^[10][8] 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.^{[citation needed]}

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.^[8]

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).^[11] 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.

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.^{[citation needed]}

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.^{[citation needed]}

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.^[12] Iraq played against hosts Mexico in the third game, losing 1–0 and being eliminated from the World Cup.^{[citation needed]}

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.^{[citation needed]}

Following the Gulf War in 1990, Iraq was banned from participating in the Asian Games and in most Arab competitions. The ban wasn't extended to the Asian Cup and World Cup.

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, a draw to Jordan and loss to China.^{[citation needed]}

In the final round, Iraq was grouped with Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Japan, Iran and North Korea.^{[citation needed]} 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.^[13] They then tied 2–2 with South Korea.^[14] and then defeated Iran 2–1 by goals of Ahmed Radhi and Alaa Kadhim.^[15]

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.^[16] 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.^{[citation needed]}

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.^{[citation needed]}

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.^[17][18]

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

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.^{[citation needed]}

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.^{[citation needed]}

Iraq won their first ever WAFF Championship in 2002, beating Jordan 3–2 in the final after extra time.^{[citation needed]}

In 2004, Iraq lost the opening match against Uzbekistan then they won against Turkmenistan and Saudi Arabia respectively, to reach the quarter-finals of the AFC Asian Cup before getting knocked out by China.^[19]

In the same year they were knocked out at the second round of 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifiers by Uzbekistan.^{[citation needed]}

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.^[20] 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.^{[citation needed]}

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.^[21]

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.^[21] 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,^[22] 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'.^[23][24]

Vieira stated during the final that he would resign after the Asian Cup.^[25] He was replaced by Egil Olsen in September 2007.^[26]

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.^[27] On the first matchday, Iraq tied China. As a consequence, Olsen was sacked and replaced by Adnan Hamad.^[28]

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.^[29]

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.^[30] The suspension was provisionally and conditionally lifted on 29 May 2008.^[31]

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.^[32]

Qatar fielded ineligible player Emerson in the 2–0 defeat to Iraq on 26 March 2008, prompting FIFA to controversially^[33] 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.^[34]

Jorvan Vieira was reappointed in September 2008. After a disappointing 2009 Arabian Gulf Cup, Vieira was sacked and replaced by Bora Milutinovic.^[35]

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;^[36] the suspension was lifted on 19 March 2010.^[37]

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.^{[citation needed]}

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.^[38] On 29 August 2011, Brazilian legend Zico signed a one-year contract to become the new coach of Iraq.^[39]

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.^{[citation needed]}

On 28 November 2012, Zico resigned as head coach.^[40] The Iraqi FA appointed Vladimir Petrović as his replacement on 25 February 2013.^[41] However, on 11 June 2013, Iraq lost 1-0 to Japan in Doha and were eliminated from the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.^[42]

Iraq were in a 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.^[43] In the next match, Iraq faced Japan and lost the match 0–1.^[44] Iraq then beat Palestine 2–0 and qualified to knockout stage as the Group D runner-up.^[45] Iraq defeated Iran in the quarter-finals in penalties, 7–6, after the game ended 3–3 after 120 minutes of play.^[46] They faced South Korea in the semi-finals but lost 0–2.^[47] Iraq finished the AFC Asian Cup in fourth place, after losing 2–3 to United Arab Emirates in third/fourth place play-off.^[48]

For the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Iraq were drawn with Thailand, Vietnam and Chinese Taipei.^[49]

In August 2015, Yahya Alwan was appointed coach for the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.^[50] 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.^{[citation needed]}

On 15 April 2016, Radhi Shenaishil became the new coach of Iraq in order to lead the team in the final round.^[51] 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.^[52]

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.

The 2019 Asian Cup draw put Iraq in Group D, with Iran, Vietnam, and Yemen.^[53]

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.^[54]

Their first match took place on 8 January 2019 against Vietnam and ended in a 3–2 victory for Iraq.^[55] Their second match against Yemen on January 12 ended in a 3–0 victory, with goals coming from Mohanad Ali, Bashar Resan, and Alaa Abbas. In their final group game, Iraq faced Iran on January 16, resulting in a 0–0 draw. With these performances, Iraq finished second in Group D and advanced to the knockout stage.^[56]

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.^[57]

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.^[58]

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.^{[citation needed]}

On 31 July 2021, Dutchman Dick Advocaat was appointed head coach of Iraq.^[59] 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.

Iraq was drawn in Group D, with Japan, Vietnam, and Indonesia.^[60] On 15 January 2024, Iraq overcame Indonesia 3–1.^[61] Four days later, Iraq created the biggest shock in the tournament, stunning Japan (who had been undefeated in the last 11 matches) by beating them 2–1 in the second group match to ensure first place in the group; both Iraq goals were scored by Aymen Hussein.^[62] With the outcome confirmed, Iraq largely rotated their squad on the final match against Vietnam, and ended up triumphant 3–2 to make history by earning a perfect record of nine points.^[63] However, Iraq suffered a shock defeat in the Round of 16, losing 2–3 to Jordan to exit the tournament. The result was controversial due to a second yellow card shown to Aymen Hussein by the referee for his celebration after he had scored to take a 2–1 lead.^[64]

On 7 November 2022, Jesús Casas was appointed head coach of Iraq to lead the national team until the 2026 FIFA World Cup.^[65] 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.^[66]

Iraq was placed in Group F of the second round alongside Vietnam, Philippines and Indonesia.^[67] After four wins in a row against Indonesia, Vietnam and back to back wins against Philippines, Iraq progressed to the next round and qualified for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup.^[68]

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 Adidas. The current kit supplier is Jako.^[69][70]

Kit supplier	Period
Umbro	1984–1986, 2007, 2020–2022[71]
Adidas	1986–1994, 2007, 2014, 2024[72]
Puma	1996
Patrick	2000
Jako	2003–2004, 2014–2019, 2022–2023,[73] 2024–present[74]
Jack & Jones	2004–2006
Diadora	2006
Lotto	2006
Peak	2008–2014
Givova	2019–2020

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.^[75] 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.^[76] Moreover, the Chaldean royal inscriptions depict the king as a ferocious lion to whom nothing can be resisted.^[77][78][79] 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.^[80]

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 from 1982 to 1983. This logo was based on the Iraq flag, with Iraqi written at the top of the crest.^[81] 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,^[82] 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.^[83]

• 
  1982–1983
• 
  2000–2002, 2007
• 
  2005
• 
  2020–present

Due to its 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.^[84][85] Iraqis have considered any matches against Iran as a must-win encounter and are known to treat it differently from any other football matches.^[86] 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.^[87] 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.^[88] 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.^[88] Before that, Iraq was also banned from hosting home games against Saudi Arabia due to the Gulf War.^[88] 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.

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.^[89]

Another famous chant is "the first goal is coming" ("هسه يجي الاول") which is chanted in the beginning of the match.^[90] 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.

Currently, Iraq primarily play their home matches at Basra International Stadium, but have also used various other stadiums around Iraq. Since 1980, FIFA imposed bans on six occasions that prevented Iraq from hosting competitive international games.

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.^[91]

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.

In 1990, FIFA banned Iraq from hosting matches due to the Gulf War, a restriction that lasted until 1995. Iraq resumed hosting home matches during both the 1998 and 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaigns.

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 next six years. 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.^[92]

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.^[93][94] The 2018 AFC Cup Final was hosted in Basra,^[95] and in the summer of 2019, Iraq hosted the 2019 WAFF Championship.^[96]

However, following the outbreak of the 2019 Iraqi protests, FIFA once again imposed competitive home matches ban on Iraq.^[97] 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.^[98] Iraq resumed playing official games at home for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification, beating Indonesia 5–1 in Basra.^[99]

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

As of 29 January 2024.

Year	GP	W	D	L	Win %	Matches
1957–1969	37	15	12	10	040.54	Matches
1970–1979	113	61	30	22	053.98	Matches
1980–1989	128	69	35	24	053.91	Matches
1990–1999	56	33	14	9	058.93	Matches
2000–2009	141	55	42	44	039.01	Matches
2010–2019	159	67	44	48	042.14	Matches
2020–present	48	20	18	10	041.67	Matches
Total	682	320	195	167	046.92	—

As of 6 November 2022.^[100]

Position	Name
Head coach	Jesús Casas
Assistant coaches	Alejandro Varela
	Salva Romero
Goalkeeping coach	David Valle
Fitness coach	Manuel Salado
Match analyst	Isidre Ramón Madir
Physiotherapist	Alejandro Rosselló Almagro
Chief medical officer	Abdul Karim Al-Saffar
Team doctor	Mohammed Nassif
Team manager	Mahdi Karim
Media coordinator	Mohammed Imad Zubair
Interpreter	Mohammad Abdul Hafidh
Security coordinator	Omar Kadhim
Kitman	Haqi Ibrahim

The following 26 players were called up for the 26th Arabian Gulf Cup from 21 December 2024 to 3 January 2025.^[101]

Caps and goals correct as of 28 December 2024, after the game against  Saudi Arabia.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Kumel Al-Rekabe	(2004-08-19) 19 August 2004 (age 20)	0	0	Leganés B
12	1GK	Jalal Hassan (captain)	(1991-05-18) 18 May 1991 (age 33)	90	0	Al-Zawraa
22	1GK	Mohammad Hassan	(2002-04-01) 1 April 2002 (age 22)	0	0	Ishøj
2	2DF	Rebin Sulaka	(1992-04-12) 12 April 1992 (age 32)	48	1	Schaffhausen
3	2DF	Mohanad Jeahze	(1997-04-10) 10 April 1997 (age 27)	5	0	Lillestrøm
4	2DF	Manaf Younis	(1996-11-16) 16 November 1996 (age 28)	22	1	Al-Shorta
5	2DF	Ali Faez	(1994-09-09) 9 September 1994 (age 30)	50	4	Al-Najaf
6	2DF	Ali Adnan	(1993-12-19) 19 December 1993 (age 31)	95	7	Al-Najma
15	2DF	Mustafa Saadoon	(2001-05-25) 25 May 2001 (age 23)	10	0	Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
23	2DF	Ahmed Maknzi	(2001-09-24) 24 September 2001 (age 23)	2	0	Al-Najaf
24	2DF	Adam Rasheed	(2006-07-10) 10 July 2006 (age 18)	0	0	Maribor
25	2DF	Zaid Tahseen	(2001-01-29) 29 January 2001 (age 23)	17	1	Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
8	3MF	Ibrahim Bayesh	(2000-05-01) 1 May 2000 (age 24)	63	7	Al-Riyadh
9	3MF	Ahmed Yasin	(1991-04-22) 22 April 1991 (age 33)	71	6	Örebro
11	3MF	Zidane Iqbal	(2003-04-27) 27 April 2003 (age 21)	17	1	Utrecht
14	3MF	Amjad Attwan	(1997-03-12) 12 March 1997 (age 27)	85	4	Zakho
16	3MF	Amir Al-Ammari	(1997-07-27) 27 July 1997 (age 27)	38	2	Cracovia
17	3MF	Ali Jasim	(2004-01-20) 20 January 2004 (age 20)	22	2	Como
19	3MF	Youssef Amyn	(2003-08-21) 21 August 2003 (age 21)	17	2	Al-Wehda
20	3MF	Peter Gwargis	(2000-09-04) 4 September 2000 (age 24)	2	0	Duhok
21	3MF	Marko Farji	(2004-03-16) 16 March 2004 (age 20)	2	0	Strømsgodset
26	3MF	Lucas Shlimon	(2003-02-15) 15 February 2003 (age 21)	3	0	Örebro
7	4FW	Ali Yousif	(1996-01-19) 19 January 1996 (age 28)	3	0	Al-Zawraa
10	4FW	Mohanad Ali	(2000-06-20) 20 June 2000 (age 24)	56	21	Al-Shorta
13	4FW	Amin Al-Hamawi	(2003-12-17) 17 December 2003 (age 21)	3	0	Sandviken
18	4FW	Aymen Hussein	(1996-03-22) 22 March 1996 (age 28)	84	31	Al-Khor

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	Fahad Talib	(1994-10-21) 21 October 1994 (age 30)	19	0	Al-Talaba	v.  Oman, 19 November 2024CLB
GK	Ahmed Basil	(1996-08-19) 19 August 1996 (age 28)	7	0	Al-Shorta	v.  Oman, 19 November 2024CLB
GK	Hussein Hassan	(2003-10-05) 5 October 2003 (age 21)	0	0	Al-Karkh	v.  Oman, 19 November 2024CLB
GK	Ali Kadhim	(1996-11-04) 4 November 1996 (age 28)	0	0	Zakho	v.  Kuwait, 10 September 2024
GK	Mohammed Saleh	(1995-05-01) 1 May 1995 (age 29)	0	0	Duhok	v.  Philippines, 26 March 2024
DF	Halo Fayaq	(2001-05-23) 23 May 2001 (age 23)	0	0	Erbil	26th Arabian Gulf CupINJ
DF	Merchas Doski	(1999-12-07) 7 December 1999 (age 25)	20	0	Viktoria Plzeň	26th Arabian Gulf CupCLB
DF	Hussein Ali	(2002-03-01) 1 March 2002 (age 22)	18	1	Heerenveen	v.  Oman, 19 November 2024CLB
DF	Ahmed Yahya	(1997-05-27) 27 May 1997 (age 27)	9	0	Al-Shorta	v.  Oman, 19 November 2024CLB
DF	Frans Putros	(1993-07-14) 14 July 1993 (age 31)	20	0	Port	v.  Oman, 19 November 2024CLB
DF	Saad Natiq	(1994-03-19) 19 March 1994 (age 30)	39	1	Al-Talaba	v.  South Korea, 15 October 2024
DF	Hassan Raed	(2000-09-23) 23 September 2000 (age 24)	11	0	Al-Shorta	v.  Palestine, 10 October 2024INJ
DF	Akam Hashim	(1998-08-16) 16 August 1998 (age 26)	1	0	Al-Shorta	v.  Oman, 5 September 2024PRE
DF	Dhurgham Ismail	(1994-05-23) 23 May 1994 (age 30)	71	4	Al-Khaldiya	v.  Philippines, 26 March 2024
DF	Allan Mohideen	(1993-11-11) 11 November 1993 (age 31)	3	0	Utsikten	2023 AFC Asian Cup
MF	Saad Abdul-Amir	(1992-01-19) 19 January 1992 (age 32)	86	4	Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya	26th Arabian Gulf CupINJ
MF	Mohamed Al-Taay	(2000-06-15) 15 June 2000 (age 24)	3	0	Wellington Phoenix	v.  Oman, 19 November 2024CLB
MF	Montader Madjed	(2005-04-24) 24 April 2005 (age 19)	3	0	Hammarby	v.  Oman, 19 November 2024CLB
MF	Danilo Al-Saed	(1999-02-24) 24 February 1999 (age 25)	5	0	Heerenveen	v.  Jordan, 14 November 2024WD
MF	Louaï El Ani	(1997-07-12) 12 July 1997 (age 27)	4	0	Al-Talaba	v.  South Korea, 15 October 2024
MF	Safaa Hadi	(1998-10-14) 14 October 1998 (age 26)	40	1	Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya	v.  South Korea, 15 October 2024
MF	Osama Rashid	(1992-01-17) 17 January 1992 (age 32)	38	2	Erbil	v.  Palestine, 10 October 2024INJ
MF	Mohammed Qasim	(1996-12-06) 6 December 1996 (age 28)	24	2	Al-Najaf	v.  Oman, 5 September 2024PRE
MF	Hasan Abdulkareem	(1999-04-17) 17 April 1999 (age 25)	13	1	Al-Zawraa	v.  Oman, 5 September 2024PRE
MF	Hiran Ahmed	(2000-04-06) 6 April 2000 (age 24)	3	0	Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya	v.  Oman, 5 September 2024PRE
MF	Bashar Resan	(1996-12-22) 22 December 1996 (age 28)	64	4	Pakhtakor	v.  Vietnam, 11 June 2024
MF	Abdulrazzaq Qasim	(2003-02-19) 19 February 2003 (age 21)	0	0	Al-Shorta	v.  Philippines, 26 March 2024
MF	Ahmad Allée	(1996-04-29) 29 April 1996 (age 28)	4	0	Rouen	2023 AFC Asian Cup
FW	Ali Al-Hamadi	(2002-03-01) 1 March 2002 (age 22)	14	3	Ipswich Town	v.  Oman, 19 November 2024CLB
FW	Pashang Abdulla	(1994-05-29) 29 May 1994 (age 30)	3	0	Duhok	v.  Oman, 5 September 2024PRE
SUS Player suspended INJ Player injured PRE Player was named in preliminary squad CLB Player refused by club or unable to attend due to club committments RET Player retired from the national team WD Player withdrew for non-injury related reasons

As of 28 December 2024.^[102]

Players in bold are still active with Iraq.

Rank	Player	Caps	Goals	Career
1	Younis Mahmoud	148	57	2002–2016
2	Hussein Saeed	137	78	1976–1990
3	Alaa Abdul-Zahra	126	17	2007–2021
4	Adnan Dirjal	121	8	1978–1990
	Ahmed Radhi	121	62	1982–1997
6	Ahmed Ibrahim	118	5	2010–2022
7	Hawar Mulla Mohammed	113	20	2001–2012
	Nashat Akram	113	17	2001–2013
	Ali Rehema	113	2	2005–2016
10	Mahdi Karim	110	11	2001–2018

Rank	Player	Goals	Caps	Ratio	Career
1	Hussein Saeed (list)	78	137	0.57	1976–1990
2	Ahmed Radhi	62	121	0.51	1982–1997
3	Younis Mahmoud	57	148	0.39	2002–2016
4	Ali Kadhim	35	82	0.43	1970–1980
5	Aymen Hussein	31	84	0.37	2015–present
6	Falah Hassan	29	103	0.28	1970–1986
7	Emad Mohammed	27	103	0.26	2001–2012
8	Razzaq Farhan	25	62	0.4	1998–2007
9	Mohanad Ali	21	56	0.38	2017–present
	Laith Hussein	21	80	0.26	1986–2002

FIFA World Cup record											FIFA World Cup qualification record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA	Squad		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1930 to 1950	Not a FIFA member										Not a FIFA member
1954 to 1970	Did not enter										Did not enter
1974	Did not qualify										6	3	2	1	11	6
1978	Withdrew										Withdrew
1982	Did not qualify										4	3	0	1	5	2
1986	Group stage	23rd	3	0	0	3	1	4	Squad		10	7	1	2	25	11
1990	Did not qualify										6	3	2	1	11	5
1994											13	7	4	2	37	13
1998											4	2	0	2	14	8
2002											14	6	3	5	37	15
2006											6	3	2	1	17	7
2010											8	3	2	3	11	6
2014											16	7	3	6	20	12
2018											16	6	5	5	24	18
2022											18	6	8	4	20	16
2026	To be determined										12	9	2	1	22	5
2030											To be determined
2034
Total	Group stage	1/18	3	0	0	3	1	4	—		133	65	35	34	254	124

FIFA World Cup history
Year	Round	Score	Result
1986	Group stage
		Iraq 0–1  Paraguay	Loss
		Iraq 1–2  Belgium	Loss
		Iraq 0–1  Mexico	Loss

AFC Asian Cup record											AFC Asian Cup qualification record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA	Squad		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1956	Not an AFC member										Not an AFC member
1960
1964
1968
1972	Group stage	6th	3	0	2	1	1	4	Squad		6	5	1	0	13	2
1976	Fourth place	4th	4	1	0	3	3	6	Squad		6	5	1	0	14	3
1980	Withdrew										Withdrew
1984
1988
1992	Banned due to Gulf War										Banned due to Gulf War
1996	Quarter-finals	6th	4	2	0	2	6	4	Squad		2	2	0	0	4	0
2000		8th	4	1	1	2	5	7	Squad		3	3	0	0	9	2
2004		8th	4	2	0	2	5	7	Squad		6	4	1	1	16	4
2007	Champions	1st	6	3	3	0	7	2	Squad		6	3	2	1	12	8
2011	Quarter-finals	8th	4	2	0	2	3	3	Squad		Qualified as defending champions
2015	Fourth place	4th	6	2	1	3	8	9	Squad		6	3	0	3	7	6
2019	Round of 16	14th	4	2	1	1	6	3	Squad		6	3	3	0	13	6
2023		12th	4	3	0	1	10	7	Squad		8	5	2	1	14	4
2027	Qualified										6	6	0	0	17	2
Total	1 Title	11/15	43	18	8	17	54	52	—		55	39	10	6	119	37
Champions    Runners-up    Third place    Fourth place *Draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

AFC Asian Cup history
Year	Round	Score	Result
1972	Group allocation matches
		Iraq 0–0 (a.e.t.) (4–2 p)  South Korea	Draw
	Group stage
		Iraq 0–3  Iran	Loss
		Iraq 1–1  Thailand	Draw
1976	Group stage
		Iraq 0–2  Iran	Loss
		Iraq 1–0  South Yemen	Win
	Semi-finals
		Iraq 2–3 (a.e.t.)  Kuwait	Loss
	Third place
		Iraq 0–1  China	Loss
1996	Group stage
		Iraq 2–1  Iran	Win
		Iraq 0–1  Saudi Arabia	Loss
		Iraq 4–1  Thailand	Win
	Quarter-finals
		Iraq 0–1 (a.e.t.)  United Arab Emirates	Loss
2000	Group stage
		Iraq 2–0  Thailand	Win
		Iraq 2–2  Lebanon	Draw
		Iraq 0–1  Iran	Loss
	Quarter-finals
		Iraq 1–4  Japan	Loss
2004	Group stage
		Iraq 0–1  Uzbekistan	Loss
		Iraq 3–2  Turkmenistan	Win
		Iraq 2–1  Saudi Arabia	Win
	Quarter-finals
		Iraq 0–3  China	Loss
2007	Group stage
		Iraq 1–1  Thailand	Draw
		Iraq 3–1  Australia	Win
		Iraq 0–0  Oman	Draw
	Quarter-finals
		Iraq 2–0  Vietnam	Win
	Semi-finals
		Iraq 0–0 (a.e.t.) (4–3 p)  South Korea	Draw
	Final
		Iraq 1–0  Saudi Arabia	Win
2011	Group stage
		Iraq 1–2  Iran	Loss
		Iraq 1–0  United Arab Emirates	Win
		Iraq 1–0  North Korea	Win
	Quarter-finals
		Iraq 0–1 (a.e.t.)  Australia	Loss
2015	Group stage
		Iraq 1–0  Jordan	Win
		Iraq 0–1  Japan	Loss
		Iraq 2–0  Palestine	Win
	Quarter-finals
		Iraq 3–3 (a.e.t.) (7–6 p)  Iran	Draw
	Semi-finals
		Iraq 0–2  South Korea	Loss
	Third place
		Iraq 2–3  United Arab Emirates	Loss
2019	Group stage
		Iraq 3–2  Vietnam	Win
		Iraq 3–0  Yemen	Win
		Iraq 0–0  Iran	Draw
	Round of 16
		Iraq 0–1  Qatar	Loss
2023	Group stage
		Iraq 3–1  Indonesia	Win
		Iraq 2–1  Japan	Win
		Iraq 3–2