Iraq Stars League

Iraq Stars League
Organising bodyIraqi Pro League Association
Founded18 August 1974 (1974-08-18)
CountryIraq
ConfederationAFC
Number of clubs20 (since 2014–15)
Level on pyramid1
Relegation toIraqi Premier Division League
Domestic cup(s)Iraq FA Cup
Iraqi Super Cup
International cup(s)AFC Champions League Elite
AFC Champions League Two
Arab Club Champions Cup
AGCFF Gulf Club Champions League
Current championsAl-Shorta (8th title)
(2024–25)
Most championshipsAl-Zawraa
(14 titles)
Top scorerAmjad Radhi (180)
Broadcaster(s)Al-Iraqiya TV
Al-Kass Sports
Current: 2025–26 Iraq Stars League

The Iraq Stars League (Arabic: دوري نجوم العراق, romanized: Dawrī Nujūm Al-'Irāq) is the highest level of the Iraqi football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Iraqi Premier Division League. It is governed by the Iraqi Pro League Association.

The league was formed by the Iraq Football Association in 1974 as the Iraqi National Clubs First Division League, the first nationwide league of clubs in Iraq, and later became known as the Iraqi Premier League. In 2023, the competition was rebranded as the Iraq Stars League and transitioned into a fully professional competition. The current format sees 20 teams playing 38 matches each (playing each team in the league twice, home and away), totalling 380 matches in the season.

Of the 81 teams to have competed since the inception of the league in 1974, eleven have won the title. Al-Zawraa are the most successful club with 14 titles, followed by Al-Shorta (8), Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (7) and Al-Talaba (5); these four clubs together contest the Baghdad derbies. The current league champions are Al-Shorta, who won their fourth consecutive title in the 2024–25 season.

History

Origins

Up until 1973, leagues in Iraq were contested at a regional level.[1] The Central FA League, the Basra League and the Kirkuk League were all founded in 1948,[2] while the Mosul League was founded in 1950.[3] The first nationwide league to be held in the country was in the 1973–74 season when the Iraqi National First Division League was formed,[4] with Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya being crowned champions.[5] The IFA then decided to replace the competition with a new National Clubs First Division League which would only be open to clubs and not institute-representative teams.[6]

Foundation

The league held its first season in 1974–75 and was originally composed of ten clubs.[7] The league's first ever goal was scored by Falah Hassan of Al-Tayaran (now known as Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya) in a 1–1 draw with Al-Sinaa.[8] Al-Tayaran were crowned champions of the inaugural season which featured the following teams:[9]

"Stars League" formation

On 4 June 2023, Iraq Football Association (IFA) signed a three-year partnership agreement with Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional (LaLiga) to transform the Iraqi Premier League into a professional league from the 2023–24 season. The competition is named the Iraq Stars League and is designed to meet the licensing criteria set down by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). A new association named the Iraqi Pro League Association, chaired by Javier Jiménez Sacristán and Matteo Mantovani, was formed to operate the competition and supervise the associated youth leagues.[10] In addition, LaLiga began training an Iraqi management team to assume full operational control of the league once the partnership concludes.[11] A start date of 26 October 2023 was set for the first Stars League season.[12]

"Baghdad's Big Four" dominance

Main article: Baghdad derbies
Results of the 'Big Four' from 1990 to 2002
Season QWJ SHR TLB ZWR
1989–90 1 3 6 4
1990–91 6 3 2 1
1991–92 1 5 4 2
1992–93 3 4 1 2
1993–94 2 5 3 1
1994–95 2 6 4 1
1995–96 8 3 6 1
1996–97 1 5 3 2
1997–98 2 1 5 3
1998–99 3 5 2 1
1999–2000 2 3 4 1
2000–01 2 3 4 1
2001–02 2 3 1 4
Top four 11 8 10 13
out of 13
  League champions

Since the league's inception, it has been dominated by the four biggest clubs in Baghdad: Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, Al-Shorta, Al-Talaba and Al-Zawraa, who together contest the Baghdad derbies.[13] From the 1989–90 season until the 2005–06 season, the league was won by one of the four Baghdad teams every time.[6]

After the 2003 US invasion of Iraq, players started to leave the Baghdad-based clubs and join clubs in northern Iraq such as Erbil and Duhok due to the economic instability and security issues in the capital city.[14] This migration of talent led to a shift in the dominance of the "Big Four" as Erbil won three consecutive league titles from 2007 to 2009 with Duhok winning the league in 2010.[15] In the 2008–09 season, none of Baghdad's Big Four clubs finished in the top four and this is the only time that this has happened in the history of the league; the top four spots were occupied by Erbil, Al-Najaf, Duhok and Al-Amana.[16] However, Baghdad's Big Four have since returned to dominating the league, having won all titles since 2015–16.

Competition format

Competition

There are currently 20 clubs in the Iraq Stars League. Over the course of a season, each club plays the others twice (in a double round-robin system), once at home and once away, for a total of 38 games (however, Baghdad derbies are usually played at the neutral venue of Al-Shaab Stadium to accommodate larger crowds).[17]

Teams receive three points for a win and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss. Teams are ranked by total points, followed by head-to-head points, head-to-head goal difference, total goal difference, goals scored and number of wins.[17] If teams remain level after all these criteria, teams are deemed to occupy the same position. If there is a tie for the championship, for relegation, or for qualification to other competitions, a play-off match at a neutral venue decides rank.[17]

Each club must register a 25-man squad for the season, but are not required to register players who have been registered for their reserve or youth teams. Each club is allowed a maximum of six foreign outfield players in their squad (no foreign goalkeepers are allowed), and can register one additional foreign player of Yemeni nationality provided that the player has represented the Yemen national team in the past three years. Only six foreign players including Yemeni players can play at any given time, and no more than two players from countries ranked below 90th in the FIFA Men's World Ranking can play at any given time. A maximum of five substitutions are available per match for each team.[18]

The winners of the league qualify for the Iraqi Super Cup, a match played against the winners of the Iraq FA Cup (if the league winners also win the Iraq FA Cup, they play the league runners-up instead).[19]

Promotion and relegation

The bottom two teams in the Stars League are relegated to the Iraqi Premier Division League, while the top two teams from the Premier Division League are promoted to the Stars League. The team finishing 18th in the Stars League enters a play-off against the winner of the play-out round between the 3rd and 4th-placed teams from the Premier Division League for a spot in the next season’s Stars League.[20]

Number of clubs in the Iraqi top-flight
Season(s) No. of clubs Competition format
1974–75 10 clubs Double round-robin
1975–76 13 clubs
1976–77 12 clubs Double round-robin (cut short to a single round-robin)
1977–78 14 clubs Single round-robin
1978–79 13 clubs
1979–80 12 clubs Double round-robin
1980–81 Single round-robin
1981–82 to 1982–83 Double round-robin
1983–84 13 clubs Double round-robin
1984–85 14 clubs
1985–86 16 clubs Single round-robin
1986–87 12 clubs Quadruple round-robin
1987–88 16 clubs Double round-robin
1988–89 29 clubs Regional stage → national stage → knockout stage
1989–90 14 clubs Double round-robin
1990–91 16 clubs
1991–92 20 clubs
1992–93 24 clubs Triple round-robin
1993–94 26 clubs Double round-robin
1994–95 24 clubs
1995–96 12 clubs
1996–97 to 1998–99 16 clubs
1999–2000 26 clubs
2000–01 16 clubs
2001–02 to 2002–03 20 clubs
2003–04 25 clubs Group stage → elite stage → knockout stage
2004–05 36 clubs
2005–06 28 clubs
2006–07 24 clubs
2007–08 30 clubs Group stage → elite stage → play-off round → knockout stage
2008–09 28 clubs Group stage → championship play-off
2009–10 36 clubs Group stage → elite stage → knockout stage
2010–11 28 clubs Group stage → championship play-off
2011–12 20 clubs Double round-robin
2012–13 18 clubs
2013–14 16 clubs
2014–15 20 clubs Group stage → elite stage → championship play-off
2015–16 Group stage → elite stage
2016–17 to 2018–19 Double round-robin
2019–20 Double round-robin (restarted as a single round-robin)
2020–21 to present Double round-robin

Clubs

2025–26 season

Twenty clubs are competing in the 2025–26 Iraq Stars League, including three promoted from the Premier Division League:

2025–26
Club 		2024–25
Position 		First season in
the league 		Seasons
in the
league 		First season of
current spell in
the league 		Titles Most
recent title
Al-Gharrafb 2nd (PDL) 2025–26 1 2025–26 0 –
Al-Kahrabaa 13th 2004–05 21 2014–15 0 –
Al-Karkh 15th 1990–91 30 2018–19 0 –
Al-Karmab 8th 2024–25 2 2024–25 0 –
Al-Minaa 16th 1975–76 48 2023–24 1 1977–78
Al-Mosul 1st (PDL) 1982–83 21 2025–26 0 –
Al-Naftb 6th 1985–86 41 1985–86 0 –
Al-Najafb 14th 1987–88 39 1987–88 0 –
Al-Qasimb 10th 2019–20 7 2019–20 0 –
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiyaa, b 5th 1974–75 52 1974–75 7 2020–21
Al-Shortaa, b 1st 1974–75 52 1974–75 8 2024–25
Al-Talabab 4th 1975–76 51 1975–76 5 2001–02
Al-Zawraab 2nd 1975–76 51 1975–76 14 2017–18
Amanat Baghdad 4th playoffs
(PDL)		 1977–78 28 2025–26 0 –
Diyala 17th 1975–76 16 2024–25 0 –
Duhok 7th 1988–89 23 2022–23 1 2009–10
Erbil 12th 1987–88 34 2018–19 4 2011–12
Naft Maysan 11th 2009–10 15 2013–14 0 –
Newrozb 9th 2021–22 5 2021–22 0 –
Zakho 3rd 2002–03 21 2019–20 0 –

a: Founding member of the league
b: Never been relegated from the league

Map

Location of clubs in Iraq for the 2025–26 Iraq Stars League season

Seasons

Since its first season in 1974–75 up until the 2025–26 season (not counting the qualifying rounds of the 2000–01 season), 81 teams have participated in at least one round of a top division season. Teams in bold are competing in the Iraq Stars League in the 2025–26 season. Teams in italics represent defunct teams. The year in parentheses represents the most recent year of participation at this level. Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya and Al-Shorta are the only teams to have competed in every season.

  • 52 seasons: Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (2026), Al-Shorta (2026)
  • 51 seasons: Al-Talaba (2026), Al-Zawraa (2026)
  • 48 seasons: Al-Minaa (2026)
  • 41 seasons: Al-Naft (2026)
  • 39 seasons: Al-Najaf (2026), Al-Sinaa (2023)
  • 34 seasons: Erbil (2026)
  • 32 seasons: Al-Jaish (2011)
  • 30 seasons: Al-Karkh (2026)
  • 28 seasons: Amanat Baghdad (2026)
  • 24 seasons: Salahaddin (2010)
  • 23 seasons: Duhok (2026), Karbala (2025), Samarra (2022)
  • 21 seasons: Al-Kahrabaa (2026), Al-Mosul (2026), Zakho (2026)
  • 20 seasons: Naft Al-Basra (2025)
  • 19 seasons: Kirkuk (2013)
  • 18 seasons: Al-Samawa (2021)
  • 16 seasons: Al-Shabab (1994), Al-Tijara (1993), Diyala (2026)
  • 15 seasons: Al-Diwaniya (2023), Naft Maysan (2026)
  • 14 seasons: Al-Ramadi (2011)
  • 13 seasons: Al-Hudood (2025)
  • 12 seasons: Al-Nasiriya (2011)
  • 10 seasons: Al-Kut (2006), Naft Al-Wasat (2024)
  • 9 seasons: Al-Bahri (2019), Al-Sulaikh (2006), Maysan (2010), Sulaymaniya (2015)
  • 8 seasons: Babil (2005)
  • 7 seasons: Al-Qasim (2026)
  • 6 seasons: Al-Difaa Al-Jawi (2005), Al-Kadhimiya (2006), Al-Rasheed (1990), Masafi Al-Wasat (2015)
  • 5 seasons: Newroz (2026), Pires (2010)
  • 4 seasons: Al-Ittihad (1982), Al-Sinaat Al-Kahrabaiya (2021), Sirwan (2008)
  • 3 seasons: Al-Amara (1995), Al-Baladiyat (1977), Al-Basra (2005), Al-Etisalat (2010), Al-Hilla (1978), Al-Hussein (2019), Al-Khutoot (1994), Al-Kufa (2010), Al-Shatra (2008), Al-Umal (1995)
  • 2 seasons: Al-Adala (2008), Al-Furat (2008), Al-Hasanain (2011), Al-Hindiya (2011), Al-Karma (2026), Al-Salam (1993), Al-Shirqat (2012), Al-Shuala (2008), Al-Thawra (1979), Iraq U19 (1994)[a]
  • 1 season: Al-Adhamiya (1981), Al-Dawr Al-Ahli (1993), Al-Gharraf (2026), Al-Jamahir (1989), Al-Muwasalat (1975), Al-Naqil (1975), Al-Numaniya (1989), Al-Rafidain (1975), Al-Taji (2012), Ararat (2006), Balad (2005), Haifa (2000), Masafi Al-Junoob (2010), Peshmerga (2011)

Champions

Club Titles Winning seasons
Al-Zawraa 14 1975–76, 1976–77, 1978–79, 1990–91, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2005–06, 2010–11, 2015–16, 2017–18
Al-Shorta 8 1979–80, 1997–98, 2012–13, 2018–19, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 7 1974–75, 1989–90, 1991–92, 1996–97, 2004–05, 2016–17, 2020–21
Al-Talaba 5 1980–81, 1981–82, 1985–86, 1992–93, 2001–02
Erbil 4 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2011–12
Al-Rasheed 3 1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89
Al-Minaa 1 1977–78
Salahaddin 1 1982–83
Al-Jaish 1 1983–84
Duhok 1 2009–10
Naft Al-Wasat 1 2014–15

International competitions

Qualification for Asian competitions

The champions of the Iraq Stars League qualify for the subsequent season's AFC Champions League Elite league stage, while the winners of the Iraq FA Cup qualify for the AFC Champions League Two group stage. If the same team wins both the Stars League and the FA Cup, the Stars League runners-up qualify for the AFC Champions League Two group stage. The number of places allocated to Iraqi clubs in AFC competitions depends on the country's position in the AFC club competitions ranking, which is calculated based on the performance of clubs in AFC competitions over the previous four years.[21]

Collectively, Iraqi teams have reached nine finals of Asian club competitions. Before the foundation of the national league, Aliyat Al-Shorta were the first Iraqi team to participate in the Asian Champion Club Tournament in 1971 and they reached the final, but they refused to play Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv and took the runner-up spot.[22] Al-Rasheed reached the final of the Asian Club Championship in 1989 but they lost a two-legged final on away goals to Al-Saad of Qatar.[22] Al-Talaba reached the final of the 1995–96 Asian Cup Winners' Cup but they lost it 2–1 to Bellmare Hiratsuka,[23] while Al-Zawraa lost the final of the same competition 1–0 to Shimizu S-Pulse in 2000.[24] Erbil reached the final of Asia's secondary tournament, the AFC Cup, twice in 2012 and 2014 but lost both times to Al-Kuwait and Al-Qadsia respectively.[14] Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya managed to win the AFC Cup when they beat Indian club Bengaluru FC 1–0 in the 2016 final, and they won the competition for the second consecutive season in 2017 by beating FC Istiklol by the same scoreline. They earned a joint-record third AFC Cup title with a 2–0 defeat of Altyn Asyr in 2018.[25]

Best Asian performance by club

Club AFC Champions League Elite / Asian Club Championship AFC Champions League Two / AFC Cup Asian Cup Winners' Cup
Al-Kahrabaa – Zonal semi-finals
2023–24 		–
Al-Minaa Group stage
2006 		– –
Al-Najaf Group stage
2007 		– –
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Round of 16
1998–99 		Winners (3)
2016, 2017, 2018 		First round (2)
1996–97, 2001–02
Al-Rasheed Runners-up
1988–89 		– –
Al-Shorta Quarter-finals
1999–2000 		Round of 16
2015 		Quarter-finals
1997–98
Al-Talaba Fourth place
1986 		Group stage
2011 		Runners-up
1995–96
Al-Zawraa Fourth place
1996–97 		Zonal semi-finals
2017 		Runners-up
1999–2000
Aliyat Al-Shorta Runners-up
1971 		– –
Duhok – Quarter-finals
2011 		–
Erbil Group stage
2008 		Runners-up (2)
2012, 2014 		–
Naft Al-Wasat – Round of 16
2016 		–

Qualification for Arab competitions

Iraqi clubs also participate in the Arab Club Champions Cup, which is organised by the Union of Arab Football Associations, and the AGCFF Gulf Club Champions League, which is organised by the Arab Gulf Cup Football Federation.

Al-Shorta won the inaugural edition of the Arab Club Champions Cup in 1982 by defeating Al-Nejmeh 4–2 on aggregate in the final,[26] and Al-Rasheed won the Arab Club Champions Cup three times in a row in 1985, 1986 and 1987 making them the competition's joint-most successful side.[27] Meanwhile, Duhok won the AGCFF Gulf Club Champions League in the 2024–25 season by defeating Al-Qadsia 2–1 on aggregate in the final.[28]

Best Arab performance by club

Club Arab Club Champions Cup AGCFF Gulf Club Champions League Arab Cup Winners' Cup
Al-Jaish Group stage
1987 		– –
Al-Naft Round of 16
2018–19 		– –
Al-Najaf Round of 16
2007–08 		– –
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Quarter-finals
2012–13 		– –
Al-Rasheed Winners (3)
1985, 1986, 1987 		– Third place
1989
Al-Shabab Third place
1988 		– –
Al-Shorta Winners
1981–82 		– –
Al-Talaba Quarter-finals
2003–04 		– –
Al-Zawraa Round of 16 (2)
2003–04, 2005–06 		– –
Duhok – Winners
2024–25 		–
Erbil Round of 32
2006–07 		– –
Naft Al-Wasat Group stage
2017 		– –
Zakho – Semi-finals
2025–26 		–

Sponsorship

The league was founded as the National Clubs First Division League and has been renamed several times, with the current name of Stars League remaining in place since 2023. The competition has had title sponsorship rights sold to three companies: Zain Iraq in the 2009–10 season,[29] Asiacell in the 2010–11 and 2011–12 seasons[30] and Fuchs in the 2015–16 season.[31]

Period Sponsor Name
1974–1988 No sponsor National Clubs First Division League
1988–1989 Pan-National Clubs First Division League
1989–1995 National Clubs First Division League
1995–1996 Advanced League
1996–1999 Premier League
1999–2000 First Division League
2000–2002 Elite League
2002–2003 First Division League
2003–2009 Premier League
2009–2010 Zain Iraq Zain Iraq League
2010–2012 Asiacell Asiacell Elite League
2012–2013 No sponsor Elite League
2013–2015 Premier League
2015–2016 Fuchs Fuchs Premier League
2016–2023 No sponsor Premier League
2023–present Stars League

Media coverage

The television rights for the Iraq Stars League are held by the Iraqi state broadcaster Al-Iraqiya through its sports channel, Al-Iraqiya Sports. In 2025, Al-Iraqiya Sports acquired the broadcasting rights for multiple domestic competitions, including the Iraq Stars League, the Iraqi Premier Division League, the Iraq FA Cup, the Iraqi Super Cup, and the Iraqi Futsal Pro League. The agreement, which also includes production rights, was reportedly valued at approximately 17 billion Iraqi dinars (around US$13 million) and involves both the Iraqi Pro League Association and its commercial partner, Ishtar Company.[32]

Several Arab broadcasters have entered into negotiations with Al-Iraqiya Sports to obtain secondary rights. These include the Qatari network Al-Kass Sports Channels for selected high-profile matches and MBC Group for highlights coverage. Access to stadiums and media activities is regulated by Al-Iraqiya Sports, with other broadcasters required to reach agreements in order to provide on-site coverage and sports programming.

Managers

Managers in the Iraq Stars League are involved in the day-to-day running of the team, including the training, team selection and player acquisition. Their influence varies from club-to-club. Managers are required to have an AFC Pro-Diploma which is the highest level of coaching accreditation issued by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).[33]

Current Iraq Stars League managers
Manager Nationality Club Appointed Time as manager
Adel Nima  Iraq Al-Naft 8 August 2024 1 year, 263 days
Yamen Zelfani  Tunisia Diyala 12 November 2024 1 year, 167 days
Moamen Soliman  Egypt Al-Shorta 17 March 2025 1 year, 42 days
Ayman Hakeem  Syria Al-Karkh 3 July 2025 299 days
Rashid Jaber  Oman Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 29 July 2025 273 days
Basim Qasim  Iraq Erbil 6 August 2025 265 days
Abdul-Ghani Shahad  Iraq Duhok 14 October 2025 196 days
Wali Kareem  Iraq Newroz 28 October 2025 182 days
Ahmed Abdul-Jabar  Iraq Al-Kahrabaa 28 October 2025 182 days
Alireza Mansourian  Iran Al-Talaba 28 November 2025 151 days
Ahmed Khalaf  Iraq Amanat Baghdad 28 November 2025 151 days
Haitham Al-Shboul  Jordan Al-Mosul 28 January 2026 90 days
Haidar Aboodi  Iraq Al-Qasim 1 February 2026 86 days
Ayoub Odisho  Iraq Zakho 13 February 2026 74 days
Luay Salah  Iraq Al-Zawraa 25 February 2026 62 days
Ali Abdul-Jabbar  Iraq Naft Maysan 25 February 2026 62 days
Hussein Abdul-Wahed  Iraq Al-Minaa 27 February 2026 60 days
Chasib Sultan  Iraq Al-Najaf 3 March 2026 56 days
Essam Hamad  Iraq Al-Karma 3 March 2026 56 days
Qahtan Chathir  Iraq Al-Gharraf 23 March 2026 36 days

Players

Top scorers

As of 27 April 2026.[6]
Rank Player Goals First app Last app Club(s) (goals)
1 Iraq Amjad Radhi 180[b] 2007 2024 Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (97), Erbil (75), Al-Najaf (8)
2 Iraq Sahib Abbas 177 1988 2012 Salahaddin (42), Al-Zawraa (62), Al-Talaba (18), Karbala (50), Al-Sinaa (5)
3 Iraq Alaa Abdul-Zahra 172 2004 present Al-Zawraa (54), Duhok (26), Al-Shorta (78), Al-Minaa (11), Al-Talaba (3)
4 Iraq Karim Saddam 171 1979 1996 Al-Sinaa (23), Al-Jaish (11), Al-Rasheed (4), Al-Zawraa (127), Al-Shorta (6)
5 Iraq Ali Hashim 170 1987 2004 Al-Najaf (149), Al-Karkh (21)
6 Iraq Hussein Abdullah 167 1991 2010 Al-Sinaa (32), Al-Naft (16), Diyala (40), Duhok (58), Erbil (14), Kirkuk (2), Pires (5)
7 Iraq Hammadi Ahmed 162[c] 2005 2023 Samarra (19), Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (143)
8 Iraq Younis Abid Ali 157 1983 2000 Al-Shorta (135), Al-Rasheed (15), Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (3), Al-Difaa Al-Jawi (4)
9 Iraq Ahmed Radhi 146 1981 1999 Al-Zawraa (103), Al-Rasheed (43)
10 Iraq Alaa Kadhim 145 1988 2007 Al-Sinaa (8), Al-Talaba (137)

Bold denotes players still playing in the Iraq Stars League.

Awards

Trophy

The current Iraq Stars League trophy was unveiled on 13 July 2024 and was designed and sculpted by the Iraqi painter and sculptor Ahmed Albahrani. It features a predominantly silver structure with curved, textured forms rising upward in a spiral shape. The trophy is topped by a stylised football composed of interlocking silver panels with gold accents. Its base is rectangular and bears an engraved plaque displaying the words "Iraq Stars League" in both English and Arabic, alongside the competition’s logo and the season.[34][35]

Individual awards

After each round of matches, fans vote for the 'Player of the Round' from a five-man shortlist posted on the Iraq Stars League's social media channels. 'Player of the Month' and 'Manager of the Month' awards are handed out at the end of each month, selected by a panel of experts.[36]

At the end of each season, the 'Golden Boot' is awarded to the top scorer, while the 'Player of the Season' is selected by an expert panel and the 'Goal of the Season' is voted for by fans.[37][38]

Records

League records

Titles
Wins
Losses
  • Fewest losses in a season: 0 – joint record:[6]
    • Al-Zawraa four times (1976–77, 11 rounds, 1978–79, 12 rounds, 2005–06, 19 rounds, 2015–16, 24 rounds)
    • Al-Jamiea (1976–77, 11 rounds)
    • Al-Minaa (1977–78, 13 rounds)
    • Al-Shorta (1980–81, 11 rounds)
    • Salahaddin (1982–83, 22 rounds)
    • Al-Jaish (1983–84, 24 rounds)
  • Longest unbeaten run: 39 games – joint record:[46]
Goals
  • Most consecutive matches scored in: 43, Al-Shorta (4 April 1997 – 13 November 1998)[47]
  • Most consecutive matches without conceding a goal: 14, Erbil (16 July 2009 – 20 March 2010)[48]
  • Scored in every match during a season: joint record:[6]
    • Al-Shorta twice (1980–81, 11 rounds, and 1997–98, 30 rounds)
    • Al-Zawraa (1976–77, 11 rounds)
    • Al-Minaa (1977–78, 13 rounds)
    • Karbala (2005–06, 16 rounds up to elimination)

Match records

Scorelines
Attendances

Player records

Appearances
Titles
  • Most titles: 7 – joint record:[52]
    • Salam Hashim (three with Al-Rasheed in 1986–87, 1987–88 and 1988–89 and four with Al-Zawraa in 1990–91, 1993–94, 1994–95 and 1995–96)
    • Mudhahar Khalaf (three with Al-Rasheed in 1986–87, 1987–88 and 1988–89, three with Al-Zawraa in 1993–94, 1994–95 and 1995–96 and one with Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya in 1996–97)
    • Mohamed Jassim Mahdi (seven with Al-Zawraa in 1990–91, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01)
  • Most titles as captain: 3 – joint record:[53]
Goals
  • Most goals: 180, Amjad Radhi[6]
  • Most goals for one club: 149, Ali Hashim (for Al-Najaf)[6]
  • Most top scorer awards: 4, Karim Saddam (1988–89, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1992–93)[39]
  • Most consecutive top scorer awards: 3 – joint record:[39]
    • Rahim Hameed (1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88)
    • Karim Saddam (1988–89, 1989–90, 1990–91)
  • Most goals in a season: 36, Younis Abid Ali (1993–94, 50 rounds)[39]
  • Most goals in a single game: 6 – joint record:[54]
  • Fastest goal: 9.504 seconds, Alaa Abdul-Zahra (for Al-Shorta v. Naft Al-Junoob, 21 October 2018)[55]
  • Most hat-tricks: 10 – joint record:[6]
  • Most hat-tricks in a season: 4, Qahtan Chathir (Al-Karkh, 1999–2000)[6]

Managerial records

Titles

The following managers have won multiple titles:[56]

Manager Club(s) Wins Winning seasons
Iraq Ayoub Odisho Al-Talaba, Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (2), Al-Zawraa 4 1992–93, 1996–97, 2017–18, 2020–21
Iraq Jamal Salih Al-Talaba, Al-Rasheed (2) 3 1981–82, 1987–88, 1988–89
Iraq Thair Ahmed Al-Talaba, Erbil (2) 2001–02, 2007–08, 2008–09
Iraq Basim Qasim Duhok, Al-Zawraa, Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 2009–10, 2015–16, 2016–17
Egypt Moamen Soliman Al-Shorta 2021–22, 2023–24, 2024–25
Iraq Saadi Salih Al-Zawraa 2 1975–76, 1976–77
Iraq Ammo Baba Al-Talaba, Al-Zawraa 1980–81, 1993–94
Iraq Amer Jameel Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, Al-Zawraa 1989–90, 1998–99
Iraq Adnan Hamad Al-Zawraa 1995–96, 1999–2000
Iraq Sabah Abdul-Jalil Al-Zawraa, Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 2000–01, 2004–05

All-time table

The all-time Iraqi top-flight table is a cumulative record of all match results, points and goals of every club that has played in the Iraqi top division since its nationwide club era began in 1974. The table that follows is accurate as of the end of the 2024–25 season using three points for a win.

Results from the regional stage of the 1988–89 season, the qualifying rounds of the 2000–01 season, and any annulled results from other seasons are not included in the all-time table.[6]

Teams in bold competed in the Iraq Stars League in the 2024–25 season. Numbers in bold are the highest values in each column.

Pos.
 Club
 Seasons
 Titles
 Pld
 W
 D
 L
 GF
 GA
 GD
 Pts
 PpG
1 Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 51 7 1,443 838 368 237 2,380 1,092 +1,288 2,882 1.997
2 Al-Zawraa 50 14 1,414 801 393 220 2,417 1,057 +1,360 2,796 1.977
3 Al-Shorta 50 8 1,421 757 396 268 2,226 1,175 +1,051 2,667 1.877
4 Al-Talaba 50 5 1,403 694 396 313 2,082 1,219 +863 2,478 1.766
5 Al-Najaf 38 0 1,165 494 356 315 1,475 1,042 +433 1,838 1.578
6 Al-Minaa 47 1 1,300 442 439 419 1,354 1,381 −27 1,765 1.358
7 Al-Naft 39 0 1,208 446 392 370 1,378 1,210 +168 1,730 1.432
8 Erbil 33 4 976 356 272 348 1,222 1,231 −9 1,340 1.373
9 Al-Karkh 29 0 920 321 300 299 1,130 1,011 +119 1,263 1.373
10 Al-Sinaa 38 0 1,019 287 350 382 947 1,141 −194 1,211 1.188
11 Al-Jaish 31 1 782 286 229 267 869 844 +25 1,087 1.390
12 Duhok 21 1 594 270 180 144 789 557 +232 990 1.667
13 Amanat Baghdad 26 0 674 216 223 235 664 677 −13 871 1.292
14 Karbala 23 0 741 202 223 316 709 1,004 −295 829 1.119
15 Salahaddin 23 1 661 179 231 251 615 780 −165 768 1.162
16 Samarra 23 0 699 184 211 304 672 966 −294 763 1.092
17 Al-Kahrabaa 20 0 574 178 199 197 622 622 0 733 1.277
18 Zakho 20 0 535 173 187 175 547 540 +7 706 1.320
19 Naft Al-Basra 20 0 560 163 179 218 546 640 −94 668 1.193
20 Al-Mosul 19 0 590 155 188 247 516 789 −273 653 1.107
21 Al-Ramadi 14 0 462 134 140 188 505 636 −131 542 1.173
22 Naft Maysan 14 0 422 125 148 149 447 485 −38 523 1.239
23 Diyala 14 0 459 120 137 202 430 637 −207 497 1.083
24 Al-Diwaniya 14 0 507 109 155 243 419 722 −303 482 0.951
25 Al-Shabab 14 0 362 110 126 126 353 391 −38 456 1.260
26 Naft Al-Wasat 10 1 320 110 123 87 337 306 +31 453 1.416
27 Kirkuk 19 0 543 97 148 298 418 922 −504 439 0.808
28 Al-Samawa 17 0 466 97 129 240 401 672 −271 420 0.901
29 Al-Kut 10 0 373 100 96 177 371 535 −164 396 1.062
30 Al-Nasiriya 11 0 386 93 110 183 381 613 −232 389 1.008
31 Al-Hudood 13 0 404 84 132 188 348 549 −201 384 0.950
32 Al-Rasheed 6 3 139 84 39 16 239 83 +156 291 2.094
33 Al-Tijara 14 0 289 62 93 134 212 344 −132 279 0.965
34 Al-Bahri 9 0 253 48 81 124 219 365 −146 225 0.889
35 Al-Difaa Al-Jawi 6 0 169 59 46 64 193 214 −21 223 1.320
36 Al-Qasim 6 0 193 48 70 75 190 243 −53 214 1.109
37 Newroz 4 0 152 57 40 55 192 176 +16 211 1.388
38 Masafi Al-Wasat 6 0 171 48 49 74 147 202 −55 193 1.129
39 Maysan 9 0 226 41 67 118 178 357 −179 190 0.841
40 Al-Khutoot 3 0 157 40 56 61 119 167 −48 176 1.121
41 Al-Umal 3 0 165 35 56 74 141 229 −88 161 0.976
42 Al-Kadhimiya 6 0 176 35 53 88 159 284 −125 158 0.898
43 Al-Sulaikh 8 0 209 32 61 116 132 293 −161 157 0.751
44 Sulaymaniya 8 0 180 36 44 100 156 325 −169 152 0.844
45 Al-Sinaat Al-Kahrabaiya 4 0 122 32 41 49 116 138 −22 137 1.123
46 Babil 7 0 178 32 36 110 143 312 −169 132 0.742
47 Pires 5 0 87 26 30 31 90 91 −1 108 1.241
48 Al-Amara 2 0 96 20 27 49 74 138 −64 87 0.906
49 Al-Kufa 3 0 74 19 26 29 69 80 −11 83 1.122
50 Al-Hussein 3 0 112 13 38 61 78 162 −84 77 0.688
51 Al-Baladiyat 3 0 53 19 16 18 55 60 −5 73 1.377
52 Sirwan 4 0 59 15 23 21 47 61 −14 68 1.153
53 Al-Etisalat 3 0 80 15 20 45 59 110 −51 65 0.813
54 Al-Karma 1 0 38 15 11 12 43 35 +8 56 1.474
55 Al-Shirqat 2 0 71 12 18 41 44 112 −68 54 0.761
56 Al-Hasanain 2 0 60 12 15 33 39 85 −46 51 0.850
57 Al-Hindiya 2 0 59 9 17 33 49 96 −47 44 0.746
58 Al-Salam 1 0 38 10 13 15 32 34 −2 43 1.132
59 Al-Naqil 1 0 18 13 3 2 47 11 +36 42 2.333
60 Al-Ittihad 4 0 58 10 11 37 38 89 −51 41 0.707
61 Al-Muwasalat 1 0 18 12 3 3 29 13 +16 39 2.167
62 Al-Taji 1 0 38 6 16 16 37 66 −29 34 0.895
63 Al-Shatra 3 0 40 7 9 24 31 60 −29 30 0.750
64 Al-Hilla 3 0 48 6 12 30 27 79 −52 30 0.625
65 Al-Basra 3 0 49 4 13 32 31 88 −57 25 0.510
66 Al-Shuala 2 0 38 6 5 27 28 81 −53 23 0.605
67 Peshmerga 1 0 26 5 7 14 19 31 −12 22 0.846
68 Balad 1 0 16 6 3 7 14 18 −4 21 1.313
69 Al-Furat 2 0 28 6 3 19 24 59 −35 21 0.750
70 Al-Adala 2 0 30 4 6 20 12 40 −28 18 0.600
71 Haifa 1 0 50 3 9 38 27 114 −87 18 0.360
72 Iraq U19 1 0 13 4 5 4 8 13 −5 17 1.308
73 Al-Thawra 2 0 25 4 4 17 21 46 −25 16 0.640
74 Masafi Al-Junoob 1 0 33 2 8 23 20 76 −56 14 0.424
75 Ararat 1 0 12 2 5 5 6 18 −12 11 0.917
76 Al-Rafidain 1 0 18 0 3 15 7 41 −34 3 0.167
77 Al-Adhamiya 1 0 11 0 1 10 3 29 −26 1 0.091

See also

  • List of Iraqi football champions
  • Iraqi clubs in the AFC Club Competitions
  • Iraqi Women's Football League

Notes and references

Notes

  1. ^ Played the second half of the 1990–91 season and played the first half of the 1993–94 season.
  2. ^ Goal against Karbala (16 August 2010; match abandoned) and goal against Erbil (26 October 2016; match result annulled) are not counted.
  3. ^ Goal against Al-Kahrabaa (25 October 2014; match awarded 0–3) and goal against Erbil (26 October 2016; match result annulled) are not counted.

References

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