Iraq national football team

Iraq national football team

The Iraq national football team (Arabic: منتخب الْعِرَاق لِكُرَةُ الْقَدَم), nicknamed the Lions of Mesopotamia (Arabic: أسود الرافدين), 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.

Iraq have made two FIFA World Cup appearances in (/wiki/1986FIFAWorldCup), scoring a solitary goal against Belgium, and in (/wiki/2026FIFAWorldCup). Iraq are one of eight current AFC nations to have won the AFC Asian Cup, claiming the title in (/wiki/2007AFCAsianCup) 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.

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. Iraq is known for its passionate football fans and the national team is seen as a symbol of hope and unity for Iraqi people. The team reached its highest FIFA World Ranking of 39th in October 2004.

History

Early years

The Iraqi national football team in 1951; they played two games in the Turkish cities of İzmir and Ankara.

On 8 October 1948, the Iraq Football Association was founded. 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. 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. 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.

In 1962, Iraq appointed their first foreign manager, Romanian coach Cornel Drăgușin. Iraq won their first trophy in (/wiki/1964ArabCup) 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.

1970s

In (/wiki/1972AFCAsianCup), 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 ((/wiki/Footballatthe1974AsianGames)), lost the Arabian Gulf Cup final ((/wiki/1976GulfCupofNations)), finished fourth at the AFC Asian Cup ((/wiki/1976AFCAsianCup)), finished fourth in the Asian Games ((/wiki/Footballatthe1978AsianGames)) and finally hosted and won the Arabian Gulf Cup ((/wiki/1979GulfCupofNations)). 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.

1986 FIFA World Cup

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.

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. Iraq played against hosts Mexico in the third game, losing 1–0 and being eliminated from the World Cup.

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.

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.

1994 FIFA World Cup qualification

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.

In the final round, Iraq was grouped with Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Japan, Iran and North Korea. 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. They then tied 2–2 with South Korea. and then defeated Iran 2–1 by goals of Ahmed Radhi and Alaa Kadhim.

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. 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.

1996 AFC Asian Cup

Iraq participated in the 1996 AFC Asian Cup, their first Asian Cup campaign for 20 years after being banned in (/wiki/1992AFCAsianCup) and withdrawing from the three tournaments before that. 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.

This period is known as 'The Dark Era' as Uday Hussein, the son of Saddam Hussein and then-president of IFA, 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.

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.

2000 AFC Asian Cup

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.

2002 FIFA World Cup qualification

Iraq reached the final round of 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification for the first time since (/wiki/1994FIFAWorldCupqualification) but lost five of their eight second-round games and therefore failed to make the finals.

Iraq won their first ever WAFF Championship in (/wiki/2002WestAsianFootballFederationChampionship), beating Jordan 3–2 in the final after extra time.

2004 AFC Asian Cup

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.

2006 FIFA World Cup qualification

In the same year they were knocked out at the second round of 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifiers by Uzbekistan.

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. 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.

2007 AFC Asian Cup triumph

Iraq playing against Australia in Group A of the 2007 AFC Asian Cup; Iraq won the game 3–1 on their way to winning the cup.

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.

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. 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, 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'.

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

2010 FIFA World Cup qualification

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

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.

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. The suspension was provisionally and conditionally lifted on 29 May 2008.

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.

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

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

2009 FIFA Confederations Cup

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; the suspension was lifted on 19 March 2010.

2010s – Ups and downs

The Iraqi national team pose ahead of their 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification match against China in Doha.

2011 AFC Asian Cup

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.

2014 FIFA World Cup qualification

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

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.

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

2015 AFC Asian Cup

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

2018 FIFA World Cup qualification

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

In August 2015, Yahya Alwan was appointed coach for the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. 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.

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

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 Iraqi national team pose ahead of their 2019 AFC Asian Cup match against Iran in Dubai.

2019 AFC Asian Cup

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

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.

Their first match took place on 8 January 2019 against Vietnam and ended in a 3–2 victory for Iraq. 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.

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.

2022 FIFA World Cup qualification

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.

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.

On 31 July 2021, Dutchman Dick Advocaat was appointed head coach of Iraq. 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.

2023 AFC Asian Cup

Iraq was drawn in Group D, with Japan, Vietnam, and Indonesia. On 15 January 2024, Iraq overcame Indonesia 3–1. 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. 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. 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.

2026 FIFA World Cup qualification

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. 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.

During the second round of World Cup qualification, Iraq was placed in Group F alongside Vietnam, the Philippines, and Indonesia. The team had an impressive run, winning all six matches, securing qualification to the next round and for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup. In the third round of qualification, Iraq was drawn into Group B, which included South Korea, Jordan, Palestine, Oman, and Kuwait. However, despite early momentum, Iraq struggled to maintain consistency. Following a 2–1 defeat to Palestine on 27 March 2025, the Iraq Football Association (IFA) held an urgent meeting and unanimously decided to dismiss Casas and his coaching staff. His contract was officially terminated on 15 April 2025.

Casas was succeeded by Australian coach Graham Arnold. Arnold took over for the final matches of the third round, but Iraq finished third in the group and missed out on direct qualification to the World Cup, instead proceeding to the fourth round of qualifiers. In the fourth round, Iraq were drawn with hosts Saudi Arabia and Indonesia. Iraq ended Indonesia's hope of qualification with a 1–0 victory, however Iraq finished as group runners-up after a goalless draw with Saudi Arabia, who qualified to the World Cup on goals scored. Iraq advanced to the two-legged fifth round playoff against the United Arab Emirates; in the first leg in Abu Dhabi, the teams drew 1–1. In the return leg in Basra, Iraq triumphed 2–1, winning the tie 3–2 on aggregate, thanks to a dramatic stoppage-time penalty converted by Amir Al-Ammari. With that victory, Iraq advanced to the inter-confederation play-offs, where they were drawn to face the winner of the game between Bolivia and Suriname in a play-off match held in Mexico to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Iraq ultimately faced Bolivia, defeating them 2–1 in the play-offs final, with Aymen Hussein scoring the decisive goal to secure Iraq's place at the World Cup.

Team image

Kit

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.

Kit suppliers

<table><thead><tr><th>Kit supplier</th><th>Period</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Umbro</td><td>1984–1986, 2007, 2020–2022</td></tr><tr><td>Adidas</td><td>1986–1994, 2007, 2014, 2024</td></tr><tr><td>Puma</td><td>1996</td></tr><tr><td>Patrick</td><td>2000</td></tr><tr><td>Jako</td><td>2003–2004, 2014–2019, 2022–2023, 2024–present</td></tr><tr><td>Jack & Jones</td><td>2004–2006</td></tr><tr><td>Diadora</td><td>2006</td></tr><tr><td>Lotto</td><td>2006</td></tr><tr><td>Peak</td><td>2008–2014</td></tr><tr><td>Givova</td><td>2019–2020</td></tr></tbody></table>

Nickname

Lion in ceramic tile from the Ishtar Gate in Babylon

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. 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. Moreover, the Mesopotamian royal inscriptions depict the king as a ferocious lion to whom nothing can be resisted. 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.

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. 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, 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.

• 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.

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. Iraqis have considered any matches against Iran as a must-win encounter and are known to treat it differently from any other football matches. 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. 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. 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. Before that, Iraq was also banned from hosting home games against Saudi Arabia due to the Gulf War. Iraq has played 42 matches against Saudi Arabia with 18 victories, 12 draws, and 12 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 39 matches against Kuwait with 17 victories, 12 draws, and 10 losses.

Supporters

Iraqi fans in London celebrating Iraq winning the 2007 AFC Asian Cup

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.

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

Basra International Stadium during the second opening friendly match between Al-Zawraa and Zamalek in 2013

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.

A new ban followed the Gulf War in 1990 which lasted until 1995. Iraq hosted matches during the (/wiki/1998FIFAWorldCupqualification(AFC)) 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.

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, while the 2019 WAFF Championship was held in Karbala and Erbil. However, the Iraqi protests in 2019 led to another ban, forcing Iraq to play its home games at neutral venues during the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

In (/wiki/25thArabianGulfCup), Iraq successfully hosted the Arabian Gulf Cup for the first time since (/wiki/5thArabianGulfCup), and resumed hosting official matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

Results and fixtures

Iraq national football team

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

All-time results

Iraq national football team

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	74	34	23	17	045.95	Matches
Total	708	334	200	174	047.18	—

Coaching staff

Iraq national football team

Position	Name
Head coach	Graham Arnold
Assistant coach	René Meulensteen Robert Stanton
Goalkeeping coach	Zeljko Kalac
Fitness coach	Chris Pappas
Match analyst	Adam Barbera
Physiotherapist	Brahim Boubaker Marouan Slim
Chief medical officer	Mokhtar Chaabane
Team doctor	Mourad Mokrani
Team manager	Mustafa Jalal
Interpreter	Ali Abbas
Media coordinator	Salam Al-Manaseer
Security coordinator	Samed Abu Jaber
Kitman	Abdallah Al-Mahmoudi

Players

Current squad

The following 26 players were called up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup inter-confederation qualifying play-offs. Caps and goals correct as of 1 April 2026, after the game against Bolivia.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
	GK	Fahad Talib	21 October 1994	20	0	Al-Talaba
	GK	Ahmed Basil	19 August 1996	14	0	Al-Shorta
	GK	Kumel Al-Rekabe	19 August 2004	0	0	Erbil
	DF	Rebin Sulaka	12 April 1992	54	1	Port
	DF	Manaf Younis	16 November 1996	31	1	Al-Shorta
	DF	Merchas Doski	7 December 1999	30	0	Viktoria Plzeň
	DF	Frans Putros	14 July 1993	25	0	Persib
	DF	Hussein Ali	1 March 2002	25	1	Pogoń Szczecin
	DF	Zaid Tahseen	29 January 2001	25	1	Pakhtakor
	DF	Akam Hashim	16 August 1998	11	1	Al-Zawraa
	DF	Ahmed Maknzi	24 September 2001	5	0	Al-Karma
	MF	Ibrahim Bayesh	1 May 2000	74	8	Al-Dhafra
	MF	Amir Al-Ammari	27 July 1997	49	3	Cracovia
	MF	Ali Jasim	20 January 2004	35	2	Al-Najma
	MF	Youssef Amyn	21 August 2003	25	2	AEK Larnaca
	MF	Zidane Iqbal	27 April 2003	22	2	Utrecht
	MF	Hasan Abdulkareem	1 January 1999	21	1	Al-Zawraa
	MF	Marko Farji	16 March 2004	9	0	Venezia
	MF	Kevin Yakob	10 October 2000	6	0	AGF
	MF	Aimar Sher	20 December 2002	5	0	Sarpsborg
	MF	Peter Gwargis	4 September 2000	3	0	Duhok
	MF	Zaid Ismail	3 January 2002	4	0	Al-Talaba
	FW	Aymen Hussein	22 March 1996	93	33	Al-Karma
	FW	Mohanad Ali	20 June 2000	70	27	Dibba
	FW	Ali Al-Hamadi	1 March 2002	17	5	Luton Town
	FW	Ali Yousif	19 January 1996	5	0	Al-Talaba

Recent call-ups

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	Jalal Hassan (captain)	18 May 1991	100	0	Al-Zawraa	2025 FIFA Arab Cup INJ
GK	Ali Kadhim	24 October 1997	0	0	Zakho	v.  South Korea, 5 June 2025 PRE
GK	Mohammed Salih	26 May 1994	0	0	Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya	v.  South Korea, 5 June 2025 PRE
DF	Saad Natiq	19 March 1994	44	1	Duhok	2025 FIFA Arab Cup
DF	Maitham Jabbar	10 November 2000	19	0	Al-Zawraa	2025 FIFA Arab Cup
DF	Ahmed Yahya	1 July 1995	18	0	Al-Shorta	2025 FIFA Arab Cup
DF	Mustafa Saadoon	25 May 2001	14	0	Al-Shorta	2025 FIFA Arab Cup
DF	Ameer Sabah Khudhair	3 June 1998	0	0	Al-Shorta	2025 FIFA Arab Cup INJ
DF	Ali Faez	9 September 1994	54	4	Al-Najaf	v.  Thailand, 7 September 2025
DF	Mohanad Jeahze	10 April 1997	5	0	Unattached	v.  South Korea, 5 June 2025 PRE
DF	Adam Rasheed	10 July 2006	0	0	Al-Shorta	v.  South Korea, 5 June 2025 PRE
MF	Amjad Attwan	12 March 1997	91	5	Zakho	2025 FIFA Arab Cup
MF	Hussein Ali Al-Saedi	29 November 1996	53	6	Al-Shorta	2025 FIFA Arab Cup
MF	Sherko Karim	25 May 1996	28	1	Zakho	2025 FIFA Arab Cup
MF	Sajjad Jassim	7 January 1998	14	1	Al-Karma	2025 FIFA Arab Cup
MF	Karrar Nabeel	16 January 1998	8	0	Al-Zawraa	2025 FIFA Arab Cup
MF	Osama Rashid	17 January 1992	43	2	Zakho	2025 FIFA Arab Cup INJ
MF	Bashar Rasan	22 December 1996	65	4	Pakhtakor	v.  Saudi Arabia, 14 October 2025
MF	Montader Madjed	24 April 2005	4	0	Hammarby	v.  Saudi Arabia, 14 October 2025
MF	Mohammed Qasim	6 December 1996	26	2	Al-Zawraa	v.  Jordan, 10 June 2025
MF	Danilo Al-Saed	24 February 1999	5	0	Häcken	v.  South Korea, 5 June 2025 PRE
MF	Rewan Amin	8 January 1996	5	0	Al-Shorta	v.  South Korea, 5 June 2025 PRE
MF	Mohamed Al-Taay	15 June 2000	4	0	Al-Karma	v.  South Korea, 5 June 2025 PRE
MF	Louaï El Ani	12 July 1997	4	0	Al-Karma	v.  South Korea, 5 June 2025 PRE
MF	Hayder Abdulkareem	7 August 2004	0	0	Al-Nassr	v.  South Korea, 5 June 2025 PRE
MF	Haron Ahmed Zubair	24 July 1994	0	0	Duhok	v.  South Korea, 5 June 2025 PRE
FW	Amar Muhsin	27 December 1997	8	0	Gimpo	2025 FIFA Arab Cup
FW	Mohammed Jawad	19 October 1996	3	0	Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya	2025 FIFA Arab Cup
FW	Pashang Abdulla	29 May 1994	3	0	Duhok	v.  South Korea, 5 June 2025 PRE
FW	Hussein Lawendy	20 January 2001	0	0	Al-Naft	v.  South Korea, 5 June 2025 PRE
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

Records

Iraq national football team

As of 31 March 2026. Players in bold are still active with Iraq.

Most appearances

Younis Mahmoud is Iraq's all-time most capped player, having played in 148 official matches.

Rank	Player	Caps	Goals	Career
1	Younis Mahmoud	148	57	2002–2016
2	Hussein Saeed	137	78	1976–1990
3	Alaa Abdul-Zahra	124	17	2007–2021
4	Adnan Dirjal	122	8	1978–1990
5	Ahmed Radhi	121	62	1982–1997
6	Ahmed Ibrahim	117	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

Top goalscorers

Hussein Saeed is Iraq's all-time leading goalscorer, having scored 78 goals in 137 official matches.

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	36	84	0.43	1970–1980
5	Aymen Hussein	33	93	0.35	2015–present
6	Falah Hassan	29	102	0.28	1970–1986
7	Mohanad Ali	27	70	0.39	2017–present
Emad Mohammed	27	103	0.26	2001–2012
9	Razzaq Farhan	25	63	0.4	1998–2007
10	Laith Hussein	22	80	0.28	1986–2002

Competitive record

FIFA World Cup

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	—	139	66	37	36	251	132

AFC Asian Cup

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.

FIFA Confederations Cup

FIFA Confederations Cup record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad
1992 to 1995	Did not enter
1997 to 2005	Did not qualify
2009	Group stage	7th	3	0	2	1	0	1	Squad
2013 to 2017	Did not qualify
Total	Best: Group stage	1/10	3	0	2	1	0	1	—

Summer Olympics

Summer Olympics record		Qualification record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1900 to 1936	Not an IOC member	Not an IOC member
1948 to 1956	Did not enter	Did not enter
1960	Did not qualify	4	2	0	2	14	10
1964	2	0	1	1	0	4
1968	4	1	1	2	7	5
1972	5	3	0	2	4	5
1976	4	2	0	2	6	4
1980	Quarter-finals	8th	4	1	2	1	4	5	Squad	5	3	1	1	10	3
1984	Group stage	14th	3	0	1	2	3	6	Squad	8	4	3	1	10	7
1988	Group stage	10th	3	1	1	1	5	4	Squad	8	6	1	1	14	6
1992–present	See Iraq national under-23 football team	See Iraq national under-23 football team
Total	Quarter-finals	3/11	10	2	4	4	12	15	—	40	21	7	12	65	44

Asian Games

Asian Games record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad
1951 to 1970	Did not enter
1974	Second round	5th	6	3	2	1	6	2	Squad
1978	Fourth place	4th	7	4	1	2	11	4	Squad
1982	Gold medalists	1st	6	5	0	1	11	2	Squad
1986	Quarter-finals	6th	5	3	1	1	13	5	Squad
1990 to 1998	Banned due to Gulf War
2002–present	See Iraq national under-23 football team
Total	1 Title	4/13	24	15	4	5	41	13	—

WAFF Championship

WAFF Championship record
Year	Result	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad
2000	Third place	5	3	2	0	10	2	Squad
2002	Champions	4	3	1	0	6	2	Squad
2004	Fourth place	4	1	0	3	4	8	Squad
2007	Runners-up	4	2	1	1	5	2	Squad
2008	Withdrew
2010	Semi-finals	3	2	0	1	6	3	Squad
2012	Runners-up	4	2	1	1	4	2	Squad
2013	Group stage	2	0	2	0	0	0	Squad
2019	Runners-up	5	3	1	1	5	3	Squad
2026	To be determined
Total	1 Title	31	16	8	7	40	22	—

FIFA Arab Cup

FIFA Arab Cup record		Qualification record
Year	Result	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1963	Did not enter	Did not enter
1964	Champions	4	3	1	0	6	2	Squad	Qualified automatically
1966	Champions	6	5	1	0	20	5	Squad
1985	Champions	4	3	1	0	7	3	Squad	1	0	0	1	2	3
1988	Champions	6	2	4	0	7	2	Squad	Qualified as defending champions
1992 to 2002	Banned due to Gulf War	Banned due to Gulf War
2012	Third place	5	3	1	1	6	4	Squad	Qualified automatically
2021	Group stage	3	0	2	1	1	4	Squad	Qualified automatically
2025	Quarter-finals	4	2	0	2	4	4	Squad
Total	4 Titles	32	18	10	4	51	24	—	1	0	0	1	2	3

Arabian Gulf Cup

Arabian Gulf Cup record
Year	Result	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad
1970 to 1974	Did not enter
1976	Runners-up	7	4	2	1	23	8	Squad
1979	Champions	6	6	0	0	23	1	Squad
1982	Withdrew	4	3	1	0	8	2	Squad
1984	Champions	7	4	2	1	12	5	Squad
1986	Sixth place	6	1	3	2	8	9	Squad
1988	Champions	6	4	2	0	8	1	Squad
1990	Withdrew	3	1	2	0	4	3	Squad
1992 to 2003–04	Banned due to Gulf War
2004	Group stage	3	0	2	1	5	7	Squad
2007	Group stage	3	1	1	1	2	2	Squad
2009	Group stage	3	0	1	2	2	8	Squad
2010	Semi-finals	4	1	3	0	5	4	Squad
2013	Runners-up	5	3	1	1	7	3	Squad
2014	Group stage	3	0	1	2	1	4	Squad
2017–18	Semi-finals	4	2	2	0	6	2	Squad
2019	Semi-finals	4	2	2	0	6	3	Squad
2023	Champions	5	4	1	0	12	3	Squad
2024–25	Group stage	3	1	0	2	2	5	Squad
2026	To be determined
Total	4 Titles	76	38	25	13	134	70	—

West Asian Games

West Asian Games record
Year	Result	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1997 to 2002	Did not enter
2005	Gold medalists	4	3	1	0	13	3
Total	1 Title	4	3	1	0	13	3

Arab Games

Arab Games record
Year	Result	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad
1953	Did not enter
1957	Group stage	3	1	1	1	8	8	Squad
1961	Did not enter
1965	Group stage	4	1	2	1	7	2	Squad
1976	Did not enter
1985	Gold medalists	4	4	0	0	7	1	Squad
1992 to 1997	Banned due to Gulf War
1999	Silver medalists	7	4	1	2	17	9	Squad
2007	Did not enter
2011	Group stage	2	0	1	1	0	3	Squad
2023–present	See Iraq national under-23 football team
Total	1 Title	20	10	5	5	39	23	—

Minor tournaments

<table><thead><tr><th>Minor tournaments</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Tournament</td><td>Round</td><td>GP</td><td>W</td><td>D</td><td>L</td><td>GS</td><td>GA</td></tr><tr><td>1966 Tripoli Fair Tournament</td><td>Runners-up</td><td>4</td><td>2</td><td>0</td><td>2</td><td>5</td><td>3</td></tr><tr><td>1967 Tripoli Fair Tournament</td><td>Champions</td><td>3</td><td>2</td><td>1</td><td>0</td><td>7</td><td>3</td></tr><tr><td>1969 Friendship Cup</td><td>Fifth place</td><td>4</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>4</td><td>2</td><td>7</td></tr><tr><td>1972 Palestine Cup</td><td>Runners-up</td><td>5</td><td>3</td><td>1</td><td>1</td><td>10</td><td>5</td></tr><tr><td>1973 Palestine Cup</td><td>Fourth place</td><td>6</td><td>2</td><td>3</td><td>1</td><td>5</td><td>3</td></tr><tr><td>1975 Palestine Cup</td><td>Runners-up</td><td>4</td><td>2</td><td>1</td><td>1</td><td>10</td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td>1977 Merdeka Tournament</td><td>Runners-up</td><td>7</td><td>3</td><td>3</td><td>1</td><td>11</td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td>1978 Merdeka Tournament</td><td>Runners-up</td><td>8</td><td>5</td><td>1</td><td>2</td><td>12</td><td>6</td></tr><tr><td>1981 Merdeka Tournament</td><td>Champions</td><td>6</td><td>4</td><td>1</td><td>1</td><td>16</td><td>4</td></tr><tr><td>1984 Merlion Cup</td><td>Champions</td><td>5</td><td>4</td><td>1</td><td>0</td><td>10</td><td>3</td></tr><tr><td>1989 Peace and Friendship Cup</td><td>Champions</td><td>6</td><td>3</td><td>2</td><td>1</td><td>10</td><td>5</td></tr><tr><td>1992 Jordan Tournament</td><td>Runners-up</td><td>5</td><td>4</td><td>0</td><td>1</td><td>20</td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td>1995 Nehru Cup</td><td>Champions</td><td>5</td><td>3</td><td>2</td><td>0</td><td>8</td><td>3</td></tr><tr><td>1995 Merdeka Tournament</td><td>Champions</td><td>4</td><td>3</td><td>1</td><td>0</td><td>7</td><td>3</td></tr><tr><td>1997 Nehru Cup</td><td>Champions</td><td>6</td><td>5</td><td>1</td><td>0</td><td>14</td><td>3</td></tr><tr><td>1999 Friendship Tournament</td><td>Champions</td><td>3</td><td>1</td><td>2</td><td>0</td><td>6</td><td>3</td></tr><tr><td>2000 Four Nations Tournament</td><td>Runners-up</td><td>2</td><td>1</td><td>0</td><td>1</td><td>3</td><td>4</td></tr><tr><td>2003 LG Cup</td><td>Runners-up</td><td>2</td><td>1</td><td>0</td><td>1</td><td>3</td><td>5</td></tr><tr><td>2003 Prime Minister's Cup</td><td>Runners-up</td><td>3</td><td>1</td><td>1</td><td>1</td><td>4</td><td>4</td></tr><tr><td>2009 UAE Cup</td><td>Champions</td><td>2</td><td>2</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>2</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>2011 Fuchs Tournament</td><td>Fourth place</td><td>2</td><td>0</td><td>1</td><td>1</td><td>1</td><td>3</td></tr><tr><td>2018 IFC</td><td>Third place</td><td>2</td><td>0</td><td>1</td><td>1</td><td>3</td><td>4</td></tr><tr><td>2018 Superclásico Championship</td><td>Fourth place</td><td>2</td><td>0</td><td>1</td><td>1</td><td>1</td><td>5</td></tr><tr><td>2019 IFC</td><td>Champions</td><td>2</td><td>2</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>4</td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td>2022 Jordan Tournament</td><td>Third place</td><td>2</td><td>1</td><td>1</td><td>0</td><td>2</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>2023 King's Cup</td><td>Champions</td><td>2</td><td>0</td><td>2</td><td>0</td><td>4</td><td>4</td></tr><tr><td>2023 Jordan Tournament</td><td>Third place</td><td>2</td><td>0</td><td>2</td><td>0</td><td>2</td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td>2025 King's Cup</td><td>Champions</td><td>2</td><td>2</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>3</td><td>1</td></tr></tbody></table>

Head-to-head record

Iraq national football team

The list shown below shows the Iraq national football team all−time international record against opposing nations.

  Positive Record   Neutral Record   Negative Record

As of 1 April 2026 after match against Bolivia

All friendly and international matches have been approved, except for Olympic matches. A-level matches

Iraq national football team head-to-head records
Team	Confederation	First	GP	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD
Afghanistan	AFC	1975	2	2	0	0	7	1	+6
Algeria	CAF	1973	8	3	2	2	9	5	+5
Argentina	CONMEBOL	2018	1	0	0	1	0	4	−4
Australia	AFC	1973	11	2	2	7	8	14	−6
Azerbaijan	UEFA	2009	1	1	0	0	1	0	+1
Bahrain	AFC	1966	34	14	14	6	48	29	+19
Belgium	UEFA	1986	1	0	0	1	1	2	−1
Bolivia	CONMEBOL	2018	2	1	1	0	2	1	+1
Botswana	CAF	2012	1	0	1	0	1	1	0
Brazil	CONMEBOL	2012	1	0	0	1	0	6	−6
Cambodia	AFC	2019	2	2	0	0	8	1	+7
Chile	CONMEBOL	2013	1	0	0	1	0	6	−6
China	AFC	1974	17	9	2	6	20	18	+2
Chinese Taipei	AFC	1974	5	5	0	0	18	3	+15
Colombia	CONMEBOL	2023	1	0	0	1	0	1	−1
Congo	CAF	1992	1	1	0	0	3	0	+3
Cyprus	UEFA	2005	1	0	0	1	1	2	−1
DR Congo	CAF	2015	2	2	0	0	3	1	+2
Ecuador	CONMEBOL	2022	1	0	1	0	0	0	0
Egypt	CAF	1972	7	0	3	4	1	7	−6
Estonia	UEFA	1999	1	0	1	0	1	1	0
Ethiopia	CAF	1992	1	1	0	0	13	0	+13
Finland	UEFA	1979	2	2	0	0	3	0	+3
Guinea	CAF	1989	1	0	0	1	0	1	−1
Hong Kong	AFC	2019	3	3	0	0	5	1	+4
India	AFC	1974	7	4	3	0	13	4	+9
Indonesia	AFC	1973	11	10	1	0	28	5	+23
Iran	AFC	1962	28	6	6	16	21	37	−16
Japan	AFC	1978	14	4	3	7	12	20	−8
Jordan	AFC	1964	54	28	14	12	83	53	+30
Kazakhstan	UEFA	1997	4	0	2	2	4	7	−3
Kenya	CAF	2003	2	2	0	0	4	1	+2
Kyrgyzstan	AFC	1999	2	2	0	0	9	1	+8
Kuwait	AFC	1964	38	16	12	10	50	40	+10
Liberia	CAF	2013	1	0	0	1	0	1	−1
Lebanon	AFC	1959	18	9	8	1	24	9	+15
Libya	CAF	1964	11	7	3	1	17	6	+11
Macau	AFC	2001	2	2	0	0	13	0	+13
Malaysia	AFC	1974	7	4	3	0	12	3	+9
Mauritania	CAF	1985	1	1	0	0	2	0	+2
Mexico	CONCACAF	1986	2	0	0	2	0	5	−5
Moldova	UEFA	1992	1	1	0	0	1	0	+1
Morocco	CAF	1966	7	2	4	1	6	3	+3
Myanmar	AFC	2003	4	4	0	0	13	0	+7
North Korea	AFC	1974	9	6	1	2	11	5	+6
Nepal	AFC	1982	4	4	0	0	22	5	+17
New Zealand	OFC	1973	3	2	1	0	6	0	+6
Oman	AFC	1976	30	15	9	6	51	25	+26
Pakistan	AFC	1969	9	7	1	1	40	6	+34
Paraguay	CONMEBOL	1986	1	0	0	1	0	1	−1
Palestine	AFC	2002	18	14	3	1	39	8	+31
Peru	CONMEBOL	2014	1	0	0	1	0	2	−2
Philippines	AFC	2024	2	2	0	0	6	0	+6
Poland	UEFA	1970	5	1	2	2	3	7	−4
Qatar	AFC	1976	33	15	10	8	41	31	+10
Romania	UEFA	1970	2	0	2	0	1	1	0
Russia	UEFA	2023	1	0	0	1	0	2	–2
Saudi Arabia	AFC	1976	38	17	10	11	56	34	+22
Sierra Leone	CAF	2012	1	1	0	0	1	0	+1
Singapore	AFC	1978	6	5	0	1	20	5	+15
South Africa	CAF	2009	1	0	1	0	0	0	0
South Korea	AFC	1972	22	1	12	9	15	29	−14
Spain	UEFA	2009	1	0	0	1	0	1	−1
Sudan	CAF	1967	3	1	2	0	5	3	0
Syria	AFC	1966	33	17	11	5	46	25	+20
Tajikistan	AFC	1999	2	1	1	0	2	1	+1
Thailand	AFC	1972	19	11	6	2	48	20	+28
Trinidad and Tobago	CONCACAF	2004	1	0	0	1	0	2	−2
Tunisia	CAF	1957	7	0	3	4	4	10	−6
Turkey	UEFA	1969	3	0	1	2	1	8	–7
Turkmenistan	AFC	1999	2	2	0	0	6	2	+4
Uganda	CAF	1977	3	1	2	0	3	2	+1
United Arab Emirates	AFC	1973	32	12	13	7	46	31	+15
Uzbekistan	AFC	1997	11	3	3	5	8	10	-2
Vietnam	AFC	2007	7	6	1	0	14	6	+8
Yemen	AFC	1993	15	12	3	0	36	7	+29
Zambia	CAF	2022	1	1	0	0	3	1	+2
Total	745	355	208	182	1192	687	+505

FIFA Rankings

Iraq national football team

  Best Ranking    Worst Ranking    Best Mover    Worst Mover  

Honours

Iraq national football team

This is a list of honours for the senior Iraq national team

Continental

• AFC Asian Cup • Champions (1): (/wiki/2007AFCAsianCup) • Asian Games • Gold medal (1): (/wiki/Footballatthe1982AsianGames)

Regional

• WAFF Championship • Champions (1): (/wiki/2002WAFFChampionship) • Runners-up (3): (/wiki/2007WAFFChampionship), (/wiki/2012WAFFChampionship), (/wiki/2019WAFFChampionship) • Third place (1): (/wiki/2000WAFFChampionship) • Arab Cup • Champions (4): (/wiki/1964ArabCup), (/wiki/1966ArabCup), (/wiki/1985ArabCup), (/wiki/1988ArabCup) (record) • Third place (1): (/wiki/2012ArabCup) • Arabian Gulf Cup • Champions (4): (/wiki/5thArabianGulfCup), (/wiki/7thArabianGulfCup), (/wiki/9thArabianGulfCup), (/wiki/25thArabianGulfCup) • Runners-up (2): (/wiki/4thArabianGulfCup), (/wiki/21stArabianGulfCup) • West Asian Games • Gold medal (1): (/wiki/Footballatthe2005WestAsianGames) (joint record) • Arab Games • Gold medal (1): (/wiki/Footballatthe1985ArabGames) • Silver medal (1): (/wiki/Footballatthe1999ArabGames)

Friendly

• Merdeka Tournament • Winners: (/wiki/1981MerdekaTournament), (/wiki/1995MerdekaTournament) • Runners-up: (/wiki/1977MerdekaTournament), (/wiki/1978MerdekaTournament) • Nehru Cup • Winners: (/wiki/1995NehruCup), (/wiki/1997NehruCup) • King's Cup • Winners: (/wiki/2023King'sCup), (/wiki/2025King'sCup) • Tripoli Fair Tournament • Winners: (/wiki/1967TripoliFairTournament) • Runners-up: (/wiki/1966TripoliFairTournament) • International Friendship Championship • Winners: (/wiki/2019InternationalFriendshipChampionship) • Third place: (/wiki/2018InternationalFriendshipChampionship) • Merlion Cup • Winners: (/wiki/1984MerlionCup) • Peace and Friendship Cup • Winners: (/wiki/1989PeaceandFriendshipCup) • UAE Four Nations Friendship Tournament • Winners: (/wiki/1999FriendshipTournament) • UAE International Cup • Winners: (/wiki/2009UAEInternationalCup) • Palestine Cup • Runners-up: (/wiki/1972PalestineCupofNations), (/wiki/1975PalestineCupofNations) • Jordan International Tournament • Runners-up: (/wiki/1992JordanInternationalTournament) • Third place: (/wiki/2022JordanInternationalTournament), (/wiki/2023JordanInternationalTournament) • Four Nations Tournament • Runners-up: (/wiki/2000FourNationsTournament(Shanghai)) • LG Cup • Runners-up: (/wiki/2003LGCup(Iran)) • Bahrain Prime Minister's Cup • Runners-up: (/wiki/2003BahrainPrimeMinister'sCup)

Awards

• World Soccer Team of the Year: 2007 • AFC National Team of the Year: 2003, 2007