Iraq national football team

Early years and regional success (1948–1979)

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.^[11]

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).^[12] 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 three 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.^{[citation needed]}

1990s – The Dark Era

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 World Cup.

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. 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.^[24] 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.^[25] Iraq won their first ever WAFF Championship in 2002, beating Jordan 3–2 in the final after extra time.^[26]

In the 2004 AFC Asian Cup, Iraq lost the opening match against Uzbekistan, then they won against Turkmenistan and Saudi Arabia respectively, to reach the quarter-finals before getting knocked out by China.^[27] In the same year they were knocked out at the second round of 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifiers by Uzbekistan.^[28]

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.^[29] 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.^[30]

2007 AFC Asian Cup: Iraq's famous first continental title

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.^[31]

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.^[31] 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,^[32] 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'.^[33][34]

Vieira stated during the final that he would resign after the Asian Cup.^[35] He was replaced by Egil Olsen in September 2007.^[36]

2010s – Ups and downs

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 22 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.^[48]

Under coach Wolfgang Sidka, Iraq were drawn into the second round of qualifiers for the 2014 FIFA World Cup 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.^[49] On 29 August 2011, Brazilian legend Zico signed a one-year contract to become the new coach of Iraq.^[50]

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.^[51]

On 28 November 2012, Zico resigned as head coach.^[52] The Iraqi FA appointed Vladimir Petrović as his replacement on 25 February 2013.^[53] However, on 11 June 2013, Iraq lost 1–0 to Japan in Doha and were eliminated from the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.^[54]

2018 FIFA World Cup qualification: Struggles in the final round

For the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Iraq were drawn with Thailand, Vietnam and Chinese Taipei.^[61]

In August 2015, Yahya Alwan was appointed coach for the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.^[62] 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.^[63]

On 15 April 2016, Radhi Shenaishil became the new coach of Iraq in order to lead the team in the final round.^[64] 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.^[65]

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 – Recent history

Iraq participated in the second round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. 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.^[71]

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.^[72]

On 31 July 2021, Dutchman Dick Advocaat was appointed head coach of Iraq.^[73] 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 the Iraq national football team, with a contract running until the 2026 FIFA World Cup.^[74] In his first tournament in charge, Iraq hosted and won the 25th Arabian Gulf Cup, defeating Oman 3–2 after extra time in the final.^[75]

Iraq was drawn in Group D of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup with Japan, Vietnam, and Indonesia.^[76] On 15 January 2024, Iraq overcame Indonesia 3–1.^[77] 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.^[78] 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.^[79] 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.^[80]

Colours

The traditional colours of the Iraq national football team are green, white and black. Green and white are often interchangeable as Iraq's home and away colours, while black is used as the third colour.

The national team frequently wore white kits during the 1960s and early 1970s, including at the 1966 Arab Cup and during early FIFA World Cup qualifying campaigns. Green became increasingly prominent from the mid-1970s onward, notably during the 4th Arabian Gulf Cup and the 1976 AFC Asian Cup. Over time, it developed into the team’s primary football colour and was often combined with white details inspired by the national flag. The shade of green has varied across different periods, ranging from brighter tones in earlier decades to darker modern interpretations introduced by manufacturers such as Adidas and Umbro.^[91]

Iraq have also previously worn red, yellow and blue kits. One of the most notable departures from the traditional colour scheme occurred during the 1986 FIFA World Cup, when Iraq wore yellow against Paraguay and blue against Belgium and Mexico despite having mainly used green and white during qualification.^[92] Former Iraqi players later stated that members of the team delegation had attempted to retain the traditional colours, but the request was rejected by then-Iraq Football Association president Uday Hussein, who reportedly insisted on using yellow and blue kits.^[93] Following the tournament, Iraq gradually returned to green-and-white combinations.

Since the 2000s, green and white have again formed the basis of Iraq’s visual identity, while black has increasingly been used for alternative kits, particularly in designs incorporating references to Mesopotamian civilisation, Babylonian ornamentation and traditional Iraqi motifs. One of the most notable examples was Umbro’s black third kit introduced in November 2021 for the 2021 FIFA Arab Cup, which featured geometric patterns inspired by Mesopotamian art, including Babylonian palm motifs symbolising victory, ornamental Assyrian flowers and decorative elements referencing the walls of the Ishtar Gate. The shirt also incorporated the word “Iraq” in Kufic script on the back and later received international attention among football shirt collectors, including a nomination by Classic Football Shirts among the best football shirts of the year.^[94]

Kits

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

Iraq’s kits have been manufactured by several international and regional sportswear brands, including Umbro, Adidas, Puma, Jako, Peak, Givova, Lotto, Diadora and Jack & Jones. The current kit supplier is Jako.^[95]

Kit suppliers

More information Kit supplier, Period ...

Kit supplier	Period
Umbro	1984–1986, 2007, 2020–2022[96][2]
Adidas	1986–1994, 2007, 2014, 2024[97]
Puma	1996
Patrick	2000
Jako	2003–2004, 2014–2019, 2022–2023,[98] 2024–present[99]
Jack & Jones	2004–2006
Diadora	2006
Lotto	2006
Peak	2008–2014
Givova	2019–2020

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Nickname

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.^[100] 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.^[101] Moreover, the Mesopotamian royal inscriptions depict the king as a ferocious lion to whom nothing can be resisted.^{[102][103][104]} 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.^[105]

Team logo

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.^[106] 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,^[107] 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 from 2021 to 2022 to commemorate the nation's 2007 AFC Asian Cup victory.^[108]

• 
  1982–1983
• 
  2000–2002,
  2007
• 
  2005
• 
  2020–2021,
  2022–present
• 
  2021–2022

Rivalries

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

More information Opponent, GP ...

Opponent	GP	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Win %
Iran	31	6	7	18	21	43	−22	019.35
Saudi Arabia	44	18	12	14	63	43	+20	040.91
Kuwait	43	18	13	12	56	46	+10	041.86

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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.^[109][110] Iraqis have considered any matches against Iran as a must-win encounter and are known to treat it differently from any other football matches.^[111] 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.^[112] 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.^[113] 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.^[113] Before that, Iraq was also banned from hosting home games against Saudi Arabia due to the Gulf War.^[113] Iraq has played 44 matches against Saudi Arabia with 18 victories, 12 draws, and 14 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 43 matches against Kuwait with 18 victories, 13 draws, and 12 losses.

Cultural identity and supporters

The Iraq national football team has frequently been viewed as a symbol of national unity within Iraqi society. During periods of war, sanctions and political instability, matches involving the national team often carried social and cultural significance beyond sport itself. Iraq’s victory at the 2007 AFC Asian Cup is widely regarded as one of the most significant moments in the country’s sporting history. Celebrations following the victory took place across several Iraqi cities and among Iraqi communities abroad, with the triumph frequently described as a unifying national moment.

Iraqi supporter culture is characterised by patriotic chants and strong displays of national symbolism. Among the most widely used chants are "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.^[114]

Another famous chant is "the first goal is coming" ("هسه يجي الاول") which is chanted in the beginning of the match.^[115] 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

Iraq primarily plays its home matches at Basra International Stadium but has also used various other venues across the country. Since 1980, FIFA has imposed bans on Iraq hosting competitive international matches on six occasions.

The first ban came in 1980 after fan and player violence during a match against Kuwait. Although lifted in 1982, the Iran–Iraq War led to a renewed ban. During this period, Iraq played home games at neutral venues but still qualified for the 1986 FIFA World Cup and three Olympic Games tournaments. The ban ended in 1988 after the war.^[116]

A new ban followed the Gulf War in 1990 which lasted until 1995. Iraq hosted matches during the 1998 and 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifiers but was again forced to play abroad following the Iraq War in 2003. Home matches resumed in 2009, but security concerns led to another ban in 2011.^[117]

Between 2013 and 2018, Iraq hosted friendlies in Baghdad, Basra, and Karbala, culminating in FIFA lifting the ban in 2018. Basra hosted the 2018 AFC Cup Final,^[118] while the 2019 WAFF Championship was held in Karbala and Erbil.^[119] However, the Iraqi protests in 2019 led to another ban,^[120] forcing Iraq to play its home games at neutral venues during the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.^[121][122]

In 2023, Iraq successfully hosted the Arabian Gulf Cup for the first time since 1979,^[123] and resumed hosting official matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.^[124]

More information Stadium, City ...

Stadium	City	Pld	W	D	L	Win %	Last match hosted	Map of the host cities
Al-Shaab Stadium	Baghdad	87	54	24	9	62.1	2013	Baghdad Basra Erbil Karbala Sulaymaniyah
Basra International Stadium	Basra	24	17	5	2	70.8	2025
Al-Kashafa Stadium	Baghdad	9	6	2	1	66.7	1966
Karbala International Stadium	Karbala	6	3	2	1	50.0	2019
Franso Hariri Stadium	Erbil	4	2	0	2	50.0	2011
Al-Madina Stadium	Baghdad	2	2	0	0	100.0	2022
Al-Fayhaa Stadium	Basra	2	1	1	0	50.0	2021
Al-Minaa Olympic Stadium	Basra	1	1	0	0	100.0	2022
Sulaymaniyah Stadium	Sulaymaniyah	1	0	0	1	0.0	2010
Total		136	86	34	16	63.2%	2025

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Last updated: Iraq vs. UAE, 18 November 2025
Statistics include only official international matches.^[125]

2025

Iraq  v  Hong Kong

4 September 2025 King's Cup	Iraq	2–1	Hong Kong	Kanchanaburi, Thailand
16:00 UTC+7	Ali 67', 80'	Report	Orr 61' (pen.)	Stadium: Kanchanaburi Province Stadium Referee: Mongkolchai Pechsri (Thailand)

Thailand  v  Iraq

7 September 2025 King's Cup	Thailand	0–1	Iraq	Kanchanaburi, Thailand
20:00 UTC+7		Report	Ali 75'	Stadium: Kanchanaburi Province Stadium Attendance: 13,987 Referee: Nazmi Nasaruddin (Malaysia)

Iraq  v  Indonesia

11 October 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	Iraq	1–0	Indonesia	Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
22:30 UTC+3	Iqbal 76'	Report		Stadium: King Abdullah Sports City Stadium Attendance: 14,687 Referee: Ma Ning (China)

Saudi Arabia  v  Iraq

14 October 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	Saudi Arabia	0–0	Iraq	Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
21:45 UTC+3		Report		Stadium: King Abdullah Sports City Stadium Attendance: 60,816 Referee: Adham Makhadmeh (Jordan)

United Arab Emirates  v  Iraq

13 November 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	United Arab Emirates	1–1	Iraq	Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
20:00 UTC+4	Luanzinho 18'	Report	Al-Hamadi 10'	Stadium: Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium Attendance: 32,008 Referee: Shaun Evans (Australia)

Iraq  v  United Arab Emirates

18 November 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	Iraq	2–1	United Arab Emirates	Basra, Iraq
19:00 UTC+3	Ali 66' Al-Ammari 90+17' (pen.)	Report	Caio Lucas 52'	Stadium: Basra International Stadium Attendance: 62,444 Referee: Yusuke Araki (Japan)

Iraq  v  Bahrain

3 December 2025 FIFA Arab Cup	Iraq	2–1	Bahrain	Doha, Qatar
17:30 UTC+3	Lutfalla 10' (o.g.) M. Ali 25'	Report	Hashim 79' Al-Khattal  90+3'	Stadium: Stadium 974 Attendance: 9,358 Referee: Pierre Atcho (Gabon)

Sudan  v  Iraq

6 December 2025 FIFA Arab Cup	Sudan	0–2	Iraq	Doha, Qatar
19:00 UTC+3		Report	M. Ali 81' Attwan 84'	Stadium: Stadium 974 Attendance: 38,639 Referee: Adham Makhadmeh (Jordan)

Algeria  v  Iraq

9 December 2025 FIFA Arab Cup	Algeria	2–0	Iraq	Al Rayyan, Qatar
20:00 UTC+3	Tougai 45+1' Natiq 46' (o.g.)	Report	H. Ali  5'	Stadium: Khalifa International Stadium Attendance: 34,148 Referee: Abdulrahman Al-Jassim (Qatar)

Jordan  v  Iraq

12 December 2025 FIFA Arab Cup	Jordan	1–0	Iraq	Al Rayyan, Qatar
17:30 UTC+3	Olwan 41' (pen.)	Report		Stadium: Education City Stadium Attendance: 43,486 Referee: Espen Eskås (Norway)

2026

Iraq  v  Bolivia

31 March 2026 FIFA World Cup inter-confederation play-offs	Iraq	2–1	Bolivia	Guadalupe, Mexico
21:00 UTC−6	Al-Hamadi 10' Hussein 53'	Report	Paniagua 38'	Stadium: Estadio BBVA Attendance: 49,286 Referee: Iván Barton (El Salvador)

Andorra  v  Iraq

29 May Friendly	Andorra	0–1	Iraq	Girona, Spain
18:00 UTC+2			Yousif 20'	Stadium: Estadi Montilivi

Spain  v  Iraq

4 June Friendly	Spain	1–1	Iraq	A Coruña, Spain
21:00 UTC+2	Torres 16'	Report	Doski 27'	Stadium: Estadio Riazor Attendance: 30,423 Referee: Florian Badstübner [de] (Germany)

Venezuela  v  Iraq

9 June Friendly	Venezuela	2–0	Iraq	Bridgeview, Illinois, United States
20:00 UTC−5	Cásseres Jr. 17' Ramírez 46'			Stadium: SeatGeek Stadium Referee: Filip Dujic (Canada)

Iraq  v  Norway

16 June 2026 FIFA World Cup	Iraq	v	Norway	Foxborough, Massachusetts, United States
18:00 UTC−4		Report		Stadium: Gillette Stadium

France  v  Iraq

22 June 2026 FIFA World Cup	France	v	Iraq	Philadelphia, United States
17:00 UTC−4		Report		Stadium: Lincoln Financial Field

Senegal  v  Iraq

26 June 2026 FIFA World Cup	Senegal	v	Iraq	Toronto, Canada
15:00 UTC−4		Report		Stadium: BMO Field

Iraq  v  Oman

23 September 27th Arabian Gulf Cup	Iraq	v	Oman	Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
17:30 UTC+3				Stadium: Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City Stadium

Kuwait  v  Iraq

26 September 27th Arabian Gulf Cup	Kuwait	v	Iraq	Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
18:55 UTC+3				Stadium: Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City Stadium

Saudi Arabia  v  Iraq

29 September 27th Arabian Gulf Cup	Saudi Arabia	v	Iraq	Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
20:30 UTC+3				Stadium: King Abdullah Sports City Stadium

2027

Tajikistan  v  Iraq

10 January 2027 AFC Asian Cup	Tajikistan	v	Iraq	Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
				Stadium: Al Shabab Stadium

Iraq  v  Australia

14 January 2027 AFC Asian Cup	Iraq	v	Australia	Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
				Stadium: King Saud University Stadium

Iraq  v  Singapore

19 January 2027 AFC Asian Cup	Iraq	v	Singapore	Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia
				Stadium: Aramco Stadium

Current squad

The following 26 players were called up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.^[128][129]
Caps and goals correct as of 9 June 2026, after the match against Venezuela.

More information No., Pos. ...

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Fahad Talib	(1994-10-21) 21 October 1994 (age 31)	21	0	Al-Talaba
12	1GK	Jalal Hassan (captain)	(1991-05-18) 18 May 1991 (age 35)	102	0	Al-Zawraa
22	1GK	Ahmed Basil	(1996-08-19) 19 August 1996 (age 29)	16	0	Al-Shorta
2	2DF	Rebin Sulaka	(1992-04-12) 12 April 1992 (age 34)	56	1	Port
3	2DF	Hussein Ali	(2002-03-01) 1 March 2002 (age 24)	27	1	Pogoń Szczecin
4	2DF	Zaid Tahseen	(2001-01-29) 29 January 2001 (age 25)	28	1	Pakhtakor
5	2DF	Akam Hashim	(1998-08-16) 16 August 1998 (age 27)	14	1	Al-Zawraa
6	2DF	Manaf Younis	(1996-11-16) 16 November 1996 (age 29)	34	1	Al-Shorta
15	2DF	Ahmed Maknzi	(2001-09-24) 24 September 2001 (age 24)	7	0	Al-Karma
23	2DF	Merchas Doski	(1999-12-07) 7 December 1999 (age 26)	31	1	Viktoria Plzeň
25	2DF	Mustafa Saadoon	(2001-05-25) 25 May 2001 (age 25)	17	0	Al-Shorta
26	2DF	Frans Putros	(1993-07-14) 14 July 1993 (age 32)	28	0	Persib
7	3MF	Youssef Amyn	(2003-08-21) 21 August 2003 (age 22)	27	2	AEK Larnaca
8	3MF	Ibrahim Bayesh	(2000-05-01) 1 May 2000 (age 26)	76	8	Al-Dhafra
11	3MF	Ahmed Qasem	(2003-07-12) 12 July 2003 (age 22)	3	0	Nashville SC
14	3MF	Zidane Iqbal	(2003-04-27) 27 April 2003 (age 23)	25	2	Utrecht
16	3MF	Amir Al-Ammari	(1997-07-27) 27 July 1997 (age 28)	51	3	Cracovia
17	3MF	Ali Jasim	(2004-01-20) 20 January 2004 (age 22)	36	2	Al-Najma
19	3MF	Kevin Yakob	(2000-10-10) 10 October 2000 (age 25)	9	0	AGF
20	3MF	Aimar Sher	(2002-12-20) 20 December 2002 (age 23)	7	0	Sarpsborg
21	3MF	Marko Farji	(2004-03-16) 16 March 2004 (age 22)	12	0	Venezia
24	3MF	Zaid Ismail	(2002-01-03) 3 January 2002 (age 24)	6	0	Al-Talaba
9	4FW	Ali Al-Hamadi	(2002-03-01) 1 March 2002 (age 24)	20	5	Ipswich Town
10	4FW	Mohanad Ali	(2000-06-20) 20 June 2000 (age 25)	72	27	Dibba
13	4FW	Ali Yousif	(1996-01-19) 19 January 1996 (age 30)	7	1	Al-Talaba
18	4FW	Aymen Hussein	(1996-03-22) 22 March 1996 (age 30)	95	33	Al-Karma

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Recent call-ups

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

More information Pos., Player ...

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
GK	Kumel Al-Rekabe	(2004-08-19) 19 August 2004 (age 21)	1	0	Erbil	2026 FIFA World Cup PRE
DF	Ahmed Yahya	(1995-07-01) 1 July 1995 (age 30)	20	0	Al-Shorta	2026 FIFA World Cup INJ
DF	Maitham Jabbar	(2000-11-10) 10 November 2000 (age 25)	20	0	Al-Zawraa	2026 FIFA World Cup PRE
DF	Dario Naamo	(2005-06-14) 14 June 2005 (age 20)	1	0	Dundee United	2026 FIFA World Cup PRE
DF	Saad Natiq	(1994-03-19) 19 March 1994 (age 32)	44	1	Duhok	2025 FIFA Arab Cup
DF	Ameer Sabah Khudhair	(1998-06-03) 3 June 1998 (age 28)	0	0	Al-Shorta	2025 FIFA Arab Cup INJ
DF	Ali Faez	(1994-09-09) 9 September 1994 (age 31)	54	4	Al-Najaf	v.  Thailand, 7 September 2025
MF	Hasan Abdulkareem	(1999-01-01) 1 January 1999 (age 27)	21	1	Al-Zawraa	2026 FIFA World Cup PRE
MF	Peter Gwargis	(2000-09-04) 4 September 2000 (age 25)	4	0	Duhok	2026 FIFA World Cup PRE
MF	Jussef Nasrawe	(2007-03-22) 22 March 2007 (age 19)	1	0	SV Ried	2026 FIFA World Cup PRE
MF	Karrar Nabeel	(1998-01-16) 16 January 1998 (age 28)	8	0	Al-Zawraa	2026 FIFA World Cup PRE
MF	Amjad Attwan	(1997-03-12) 12 March 1997 (age 29)	91	5	Zakho	2025 FIFA Arab Cup
MF	Hussein Ali Al-Saedi	(1996-11-29) 29 November 1996 (age 29)	53	6	Al-Shorta	2025 FIFA Arab Cup
MF	Sherko Karim	(1996-05-25) 25 May 1996 (age 30)	28	1	Zakho	2025 FIFA Arab Cup
MF	Sajjad Jassim	(1998-01-07) 7 January 1998 (age 28)	14	1	Al-Karma	2025 FIFA Arab Cup
MF	Osama Rashid	(1992-01-17) 17 January 1992 (age 34)	43	2	Zakho	2025 FIFA Arab Cup INJ
MF	Bashar Rasan	(1996-12-22) 22 December 1996 (age 29)	65	4	Pakhtakor	v.  Saudi Arabia, 14 October 2025
MF	Montader Madjed	(2005-04-24) 24 April 2005 (age 21)	4	0	Hammarby	v.  Saudi Arabia, 14 October 2025
FW	Amar Muhsin	(1997-12-27) 27 December 1997 (age 28)	8	0	Gimpo	2025 FIFA Arab Cup
FW	Mohammed Jawad	(1996-10-19) 19 October 1996 (age 29)	3	0	Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya	2025 FIFA Arab Cup
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 commitments RET Player retired from the national team WD Player withdrew for non-injury related reasons

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Previous squads

Most appearances

Top goalscorers

FIFA World Cup

More information FIFA World Cup record, FIFA World Cup qualification record ...

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		8	5	1	2	14	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	Group stage	TBD	0	0	0	0	0	0	Squad		21	13	5	3	32	14
2030	To be determined
2034
Total: 2/18	Group stage	23rd	3	0	0	3	1	4	—		140	67	37	36	253	133

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More information FIFA World Cup history, Year ...

FIFA World Cup history
Year	Manager	Round	Score	Result	Goalscorers for Iraq
1986	Evaristo de Macedo	Group stage
			Iraq 0–1  Paraguay	Loss
			Iraq 1–2  Belgium	Loss	Radhi 59'
			Iraq 0–1  Mexico	Loss
2026	Graham Arnold	Group stage
			Iraq –  Norway	TBD
			Iraq –  France	TBD
			Iraq –  Senegal	TBD
First match:  Iraq 0–1  Paraguay – 4 June 1986, Estadio Nemesio Díez, Toluca, Mexico Biggest win: None Biggest defeat:  Iraq 0–1  Paraguay – 4 June 1986 and  Iraq 1–2  Belgium – 8 June 1986 and  Iraq 0–1  Mexico – 11 June 1986 Best finish: Group stage (1986) Worst finish: Group stage (1986) Overall top scorer: Ahmed Radhi (1 goal) Most goals in a single tournament: Ahmed Radhi (1 goal, 1986)

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AFC Asian Cup

More information AFC Asian Cup record, AFC Asian Cup qualification record ...

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.

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More information AFC Asian Cup history, Year ...

AFC Asian Cup history
Year	Manager	Round	Score	Result	Goalscorers for Iraq
1972	Abdelilah Mohammed Hassan	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	Yousif 6'
1976	Lenko Grčić	Group stage
			Iraq 0–2  Iran	Loss
			Iraq 1–0  South Yemen	Win	Waal 84'
		Semi-finals
			Iraq 2–3 (a.e.t.)  Kuwait	Loss	Abdul-Jalil 46', Hassan 85'
		Third place match
			Iraq 0–1  China	Loss
1996	Yahya Alwan	Group stage
			Iraq 2–1  Iran	Win	Fawzi 37', Sabbar 69'
			Iraq 0–1  Saudi Arabia	Loss
			Iraq 4–1  Thailand	Win	H. Mahmoud 17', 50', L. Hussein 23', 63'
		Quarter-finals
			Iraq 0–1 (a.e.t.)  United Arab Emirates	Loss
2000	Milan Živadinović	Group stage
			Iraq 2–0  Thailand	Win	Chathir 27', H. Mahmoud 60'
			Iraq 2–2  Lebanon	Draw	Jeayer 5', 22'
			Iraq 0–1  Iran	Loss
		Quarter-finals
			Iraq 1–4  Japan	Loss	Obeid 4'
2004	Adnan Hamad	Group stage
			Iraq 0–1  Uzbekistan	Loss
			Iraq 3–2  Turkmenistan	Win	Mohammed 12', Farhan 80', Munir 88'
			Iraq 2–1  Saudi Arabia	Win	Akram 51', Y. Mahmoud 86'
		Quarter-finals
			Iraq 0–3  China	Loss
2007	Jorvan Vieira	Group stage
			Iraq 1–1  Thailand	Draw	Y. Mahmoud 32'
			Iraq 3–1  Australia	Win	Akram 22', Mohammed 60', K. Jassim 86'
			Iraq 0–0  Oman	Draw
		Quarter-finals
			Iraq 2–0  Vietnam	Win	Y. Mahmoud 2', 65'
		Semi-finals
			Iraq 0–0 (a.e.t.) (4–3 p)  South Korea	Draw
		Final
			Iraq 1–0  Saudi Arabia	Win	Y. Mahmoud 72'
2011	Wolfgang Sidka	Group stage
			Iraq 1–2  Iran	Loss	Y. Mahmoud 13'
			Iraq 1–0  United Arab Emirates	Win	W. Abbas 90+3' (o.g.)
			Iraq 1–0  North Korea	Win	Jassim 22'
		Quarter-finals
			Iraq 0–1 (a.e.t.)  Australia	Loss
2015	Radhi Shenaishil	Group stage
			Iraq 1–0  Jordan	Win	Kasim 77'
			Iraq 0–1  Japan	Loss
			Iraq 2–0  Palestine	Win	Y. Mahmoud 48', Yasin 88'
		Quarter-finals
			Iraq 3–3 (a.e.t.) (7–6 p)  Iran	Draw	Yasin 56', Y. Mahmoud 93', Ismail 116' (pen.)
		Semi-finals
			Iraq 0–2  South Korea	Loss
		Third place match
			Iraq 2–3  United Arab Emirates	Loss	Salim 28', Kalaf 42'
2019	Srečko Katanec	Group stage
			Iraq 3–2  Vietnam	Win	Ali 35', Tariq 60', Adnan 90'
			Iraq 3–0  Yemen	Win	Ali 11', Resan 19', Abbas 90+1'
			Iraq 0–0  Iran	Draw
		Round of 16
			Iraq 0–1  Qatar	Loss
2023	Jesús Casas	Group stage
			Iraq 3–1  Indonesia	Win	Ali 17', Rashid 45+7', A. Hussein 75'
			Iraq 2–1  Japan	Win	A. Hussein 5', 45+4'
			Iraq 3–2  Vietnam	Win	Sulaka 47', A. Hussein 73', 90+12' (pen.)
		Round of 16
			Iraq 2–3  Jordan	Loss	Natiq 68', A. Hussein 76'
First match:  Iraq 0–0  South Korea – 7 May 1972, National Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand Biggest win:  Iraq 4–1  Thailand – 11 December 1996 and  Iraq 3–0  Yemen – 12 January 2019 Biggest defeat:  Iraq 0–3  Iran – 9 May 1972 and  Iraq 1–4  Japan – 24 October 2000 and  Iraq 0–3  China – 30 July 2004 Best finish: Champions (2007) Worst finish: Group stage (1972) Overall top scorer: Younis Mahmoud (8 goals) Most goals in a single tournament: Aymen Hussein (6 goals, 2023) Draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

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