Iraq National Football Team

Iraq's usual home venue is the Basra International Stadium.

Iraq

Nickname(s)	Usood al-Rafidayn (Lions of Mesopotamia)
Association	Iraq Football Association (IFA)
Confederation	AFC (Asia)
Sub-confederation	WAFF (West Asia)
Head coach	Jesús Casas
Captain	Jalal Hassan
Most caps	Younis Mahmoud (148)
Top scorer	Hussein Saeed (78)
Home stadium	Basra International Stadium
FIFA code	IRQ
First colours Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	58 1 (4 April 2024)
Highest	39 (6 October 2004)
Lowest	139 (3 July 1996)
First international
Morocco 3–3 Iraq  (Beirut, Lebanon; 19 October 1957)
Biggest win
Iraq 13–0 Ethiopia  (Irbid, Jordan; August 1992)
Biggest defeat
Turkey 7–1 Iraq  (Adana, Turkey; 6 December 1959)  Brazil 6–0 Iraq  (Malmö, Sweden; 11 October 2012)  Chile 6–0 Iraq  (Copenhagen, Denmark; 14 August 2013)
World Cup
Appearances	1 (first in 1986)
Best result	Group stage (1986)
Asian Cup
Appearances	10 (first in 1972)
Best result	Champions (2007)
Arab Cup
Appearances	6 (first in 1964)
Best result	Champions (1964, 1966, 1985, 1988)
WAFF Championship
Appearances	8 (first in 2000)
Best result	Champions (2002)
Arabian Gulf Cup
Appearances	16 (first in 1976)
Best result	Champions (1979, 1984, 1988, 2023)
FIFA Confederations Cup
Appearances	1 (first in 2009)
Best result	Group stage (2009)
Medal record AFC Asian Cup 2007 Indonesia/Malaysia /Thailand/Vietnam Team Asian Games 1982 New Delhi Team WAFF Championship 2002 Syria Team 2007 Jordan Team 2012 Kuwait Team 2019 Iraq Team 2000 Jordan Team 2010 Jordan (s.f.) Team Arab Cup 1964 Kuwait Team 1966 Iraq Team 1985 Saudi Arabia Team 1988 Jordan Team 2012 Saudi Arabia Team Arabian Gulf Cup 1979 Iraq Team 1984 Oman Team 1988 Saudi Arabia Team 2023 Iraq Team 1976 Qatar Team 2013 Bahrain Team 2010 Yemen (s.f.) Team 2017–18 Kuwait (s.f.) Team 2019 Qatar (s.f.) Team West Asian Games 2005 Doha Team Arab Games 1985 Rabat Team 1999 Amman Team
Website	socceriraq.net

Iraq have made one FIFA World Cup appearance in 1986, scoring their only goal against Belgium. They are one of eight current AFC nations to have won the AFC Asian Cup, claiming the title in 2007 in spite of difficult conditions and limited preparation. Iraq defeated some of the favourites in the competition including Australia, South Korea and Saudi Arabia. This qualified them for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup where they earned two points in the group stage; they later finished fourth at the 2015 AFC Asian Cup.

Iraq is known for its passionate football fans and the national team is also seen as a symbol of hope and unity for Iraqi people. The team reached an all-time high of 39th in the FIFA World Rankings in October 2004. Iraq are the current holders of the Arabian Gulf Cup, having won the title as hosts in 2023.

Early years

 

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.^{[citation needed]}

In 1962, Iraq appointed their first foreign manager, Romanian coach Cornel Drăgușin. Iraq won their first trophy in 1964 when they won the Arab Cup, winning three and drawing one of their four games. In the following edition, they retained their Arab Cup title, beating Syria 2–1 in the final in Baghdad.

1970s

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). The 1976 Asian Cup would be the last Asian Cup that Iraq appeared in for the next 20 years, as they withdrew from the next four editions.

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]}

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^{[citation needed]}

At their first game of the Group B at the 1986 FIFA World Cup, Iraq played well against Paraguay, losing narrowly 1–0 despite scoring a goal that was controversially disallowed by the referee. Iraq recorded their first World Cup goal in the second game, scoring against Belgium in a 1–2 defeat despite having ten men, with Ahmed Radhi scoring a goal for Iraq. Iraq played against hosts Mexico in the third game, losing 1–0 and being eliminated from the World Cup.^{[citation needed]}

In the following years, Iraq won the 1988 Arabian Gulf Cup and won the 1988 Arab Cup. Overall, Iraq won nine competitions in the 1980s and played in their only World Cup, leading many to believe that this was the golden era of Iraqi football. In 1989, Iraq competed in qualifying for a berth in the 1990 World Cup finals, but they lost a crucial game against Qatar.^{[citation needed]}

1990s – The Dark Era

Following the Gulf War in 1990, Iraq was banned from participating in the Asian Games and in most Arab competitions, leading them to participate in friendly competitions instead.

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

In the final round, Iraq was grouped with Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Japan, Iran and North Korea.^{[citation needed]} On the first matchday, Iraq lost 3–2 to North Korea in a dramatic way, being 2–0 ahead in the second half. After an Iraqi player was sent off, North Korea pulled back in the 67th minute, equalized in the 77th minute and scored the winner in the 82nd minute. 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.^{[citation needed]}

1996 AFC Asian Cup

Iraq participated in the 1996 AFC Asian Cup, their first Asian Cup campaign for 20 years of withdrawing from the previous four. They reached the quarter-finals but lost to the United Arab Emirates due to a golden goal scored by Abdulrahman Ibrahim. In 1996, Iraq was ranked 139th in the world, which is their worst FIFA ranking in their history due to inactivity after withdrawing from several tournaments.

In 1997, Iraq participated in qualifiers for the 1998 FIFA World Cup but were knocked out at the first round following two defeats by Kazakhstan.^{[citation needed]}

This period is known as 'The Dark Era' as Uday Hussein, the son of Saddam Hussein, abused his control of Iraqi football and tortured players who played poorly, punishing them by sending them to prison, making them bathe in raw sewage and kick concrete balls, and shaving their heads among many other punishments.

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.^{[citation needed]}

2002 FIFA World Cup qualification

Iraq reached the final round of 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification for the first time since 1994 but lost five of their eight second-round games and therefore failed to make the finals.^{[citation needed]}

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

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.^{[citation needed]}

Iraq were ranked as high as 39th in the World Rankings in October 2004 which is their highest ranking position in their history. The following year, Iraq won the gold medal in the West Asian Games by beating Syria in the final via a penalty shootout. In 2007, Iraq were knocked out at the group stage of the Arabian Gulf Cup after a controversial defeat to Saudi Arabia. Akram Salman was sacked and Jorvan Vieira appointed as head coach. Under him, Iraq reached the final of the WAFF Championship but lost 2–1 to Iran.^{[citation needed]}

2007 AFC Asian Cup triumph

 

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

 

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.^{[citation needed]}

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.^{[citation needed]}

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 an 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.^{[citation needed]}

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.

2020s

 

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 Iraq to lead the national team until the 2026 FIFA World Cup. In the first tournament under Casas' leadership, Iraq hosted and won the 25th Arabian Gulf Cup, beating Oman 3–2 after extra time in the final.

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

Kit

 

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

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

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

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. 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 Chaldean 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.

Wiki EnglishTeam 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 in 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 to commemorate the nation's 2007 AFC Asian Cup victory.

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

Rivalries

Due to 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 40 matches against Saudi Arabia with 18 victories, 11 draws, and 11 losses

Iraq's rivalry with Kuwait was once considered the greatest football rivalry in the Middle East, until being taken over by Iraq's rivalry with Saudi Arabia due to Kuwait's decline. The rivalry began in the mid-1970s. Because of the Gulf War, Iraq and Kuwait were in complete avoidance and never met for more than 15 years until 2005. Iraq has played 37 matches against Kuwait with 17 victories, 10 draws, and 10 losses.

Supporters

 

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

 

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

The first ban was imposed in 1980 after an Olympic qualifying play-off between Iraq and Kuwait in Baghdad, where the match referee was attacked by enraged home fans and members of the Iraqi team after the Malaysian official's decision to award a match-changing penalty to the Kuwaitis that led to Iraq losing 3–2. The ban was lifted in 1982.

Around the same time, the Iran–Iraq War started and the ban was imposed again. Iraq played their qualifying home games at a neutral venue and still qualified for the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, and three Olympic Games (Moscow, Los Angeles and Seoul). The ban was lifted in 1988, when the war ended.

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

The Iraq War in 2003 forced Iraq to play their home matches outside the country for security reasons, and so home games were held at neutral venues for the next six years. In July 2009, Iraq played on home soil for the first time since the Iraq War, against Palestine in Erbil and Baghdad. The same month, the AFC Executive Committee approved the Franso Hariri Stadium as Iraq's venue for international matches and for clubs in continental tournaments.

On 23 July 2011, Iraq played a FIFA World Cup qualifier on home ground for the first time since 2001, defeating Yemen 2–0 at Franso Hariri Stadium in Erbil. However, FIFA re-imposed the ban on 23 September 2011 due to fears over security and a breach of safety regulations in the qualifying match with Jordan. Between 2013 and 2018, Iraq played various friendlies on home soil – in 2013 against Syria and Liberia in Baghdad, and in 2017 against Jordan, Kenya and Syria in Basra and Karbala. After successfully hosting these friendlies, on 16 March 2018, FIFA announced the lifting of the ban on competitive matches in the three cities. The 2018 AFC Cup Final was hosted in Basra, and in the summer of 2019, Iraq hosted the 2019 WAFF Championship.

However, following the outbreak of the 2019 Iraqi protests, FIFA once again imposed competitive home matches ban on Iraq. This meant that Iraq played the remainder of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers at neutral venues.

In 2023, Iraq hosted the 25th Arabian Gulf Cup, which was the first time they had hosted the tournament since 1979. Iraq resumed playing official games at home for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification, beating Indonesia 5–1 in Basra.

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

  Win   Draw   Loss   Fixture

2023

Colombia   v   Iraq

16 June 2023 Friendly	Colombia	1–0	Iraq	Valencia, Spain
21:00 UTC+2	Cassierra   76'	Report		Stadium: Mestalla Stadium Referee: Miguel Nogueira (Portugal)

Iraq   v   India

7 September 2023 King's Cup SF	Iraq	2–2 (5–4 p)	India	Chiang Mai, Thailand
13:30 UTC+3	Al-Hamadi   28' (pen.) Hussein   80' (pen.)		Naorem   17' Hassan   51' (o.g.)	Stadium: 700th Anniversary Stadium
	Penalties
	Doski   Adnan   H. Ali   Al-Hamawi   Resan		Fernandes   Jhingan   Wangjam   A. Ali   R. Ali

Thailand   v   Iraq

10 September 2023 King's Cup F	Thailand	2–2 (4–5 p)	Iraq	Chiang Mai, Thailand
16:30 UTC+3	Mickelson   37' Bordin   82'		Hussein   6' Attwan   65'	Stadium: 700th Anniversary Stadium
	Penalties
	Kritsada   Thitiphan   Pokklaw   Pathompol   Theerathon		Abdulla   Doski   Farhan   Bayesh   Attwan

Qatar   v   Iraq

13 October 2023 Jordan Tournament SF	Qatar	0–0 (6–5 p)	Iraq	Amman, Jordan
18:00 UTC+3				Stadium: Amman International Stadium
	Penalties
	Al-Haydos   Fatehi   Alaaeldin   Suhail   Afif   Al-Brake   Gaber   Meshaal		Doski   Al-Hamadi   Ali   Adnan   Allée   Al-Ammari   Sulaka   Resan

Jordan   v   Iraq

17 October 2023 Jordan Tournament 3rd/4th	Jordan	2–2 (3–5 p)	Iraq	Amman, Jordan
17:30 UTC+3	Al-Naimat   31', 79'		Hussein   70' Al-Hamadi   75'	Stadium: Amman International Stadium
	Penalties
	Al-Mardi   Sadeh   Al-Rashdan   Haddad		Doski   Al-Hamadi   Adnan   Hussein   Attwan

Iraq   v   Indonesia

16 November 2023 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	Iraq	5–1	Indonesia	Basra, Iraq
17:45 UTC+3	Resan   20' Amat   35' (o.g.) Rashid   60' Amyn   81' Al-Hamadi   88'	Report	Pattynama   45+3'	Stadium: Basra International Stadium Attendance: 64,447 Referee: Ahmed Eisa (United Arab Emirates)

Vietnam   v   Iraq

21 November 2023 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	Vietnam	0–1	Iraq	Hanoi, Vietnam
15:00 UTC+3			Ali   90+7'	Stadium: Mỹ Đình National Stadium Referee: Abdulla Al-Marri (Qatar)

2024

South Korea   v   Iraq

6 January 2024 Friendly	South Korea	1–0	Iraq	Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
17:00 UTC+4	Lee Jae-sung   42'	Report		Stadium: New York University Stadium Attendance: 100 Referee: Yahya Ali Al-Mulla (United Arab Emirates)

Indonesia   v   Iraq

15 January 2024 2023 AFC Asian Cup GS	Indonesia	1–3	Iraq	Al Rayyan, Qatar
17:30 UTC+3	Marselino   37'	Report	Ali   17' Rashid   45+7' Hussein   75'	Stadium: Ahmad bin Ali Stadium Attendance: 16,532 Referee: Ilgiz Tantashev (Uzbekistan)

Iraq   v   Japan

19 January 2024 2023 AFC Asian Cup GS	Iraq	2–1	Japan	Al Rayyan, Qatar
14:30 UTC+3	Hussein   5'   45+4'	Report	Endō   90+3'	Stadium: Education City Stadium Attendance: 38,663 Referee: Khalid Al-Turais (Saudi Arabia)

Iraq   v   Vietnam

24 January 2024 2023 AFC Asian Cup GS	Iraq	3–2	Vietnam	Al Rayyan, Qatar
14:30 UTC+3	Sulaka   47' Hussein   73', 90+12' (pen.)	Report	Bùi Hoàng Việt Anh   42'	Stadium: Jassim bin Hamad Stadium Attendance: 8,932 Referee: Nazmi Nasaruddin (Malaysia)

Iraq   v   Jordan

29 January 2024 2023 AFC Asian Cup R16	Iraq	2–3	Jordan	Al Rayyan, Qatar
14:30 UTC+3	Natiq   68' Hussein   76'   45+3'   77'	Report	Al-Naimat   45+1' Al-Arab   90+5' Al-Rashdan   90+7'	Stadium: Khalifa International Stadium Attendance: 35,814 Referee: Alireza Faghani (Australia)

Iraq   v   Philippines

21 March 2024 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	Iraq	1–0	Philippines	Basra, Iraq
22:00 UTC+3	Ali   84'			Stadium: Basra International Stadium Referee: Abdullah Jamali (Kuwait)

Philippines   v   Iraq

26 March 2024 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	Philippines	0–5	Iraq	Manila, Philippines
19:00 UTC+8			Hussein   14', 36' Al-Ammari   30' Iqbal   62' Tahseen   77'	Stadium: Rizal Memorial Stadium Attendance: 10,014 Referee: Nazmi Nasaruddin (Malaysia)

Indonesia   v   Iraq

6 June 2024 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	Indonesia	v	Iraq	Indonesia
--:-- UTC+3				Stadium: TBA

Iraq   v   Vietnam

11 June 2024 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	Iraq	v	Vietnam	Iraq
--:-- UTC+3				Stadium: TBA

As of 29 January 2024.

As of 6 November 2022.

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

Current squad

The following 27 players were called up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification matches in March 2024.

Caps and goals correct as of 26 March 2024, after the game against   Philippines.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Mohammed Saleh	(1995-05-01) 1 May 1995 (age 28)	0	0	Duhok
12	1GK	Jalal Hassan (captain)	(1991-05-18) 18 May 1991 (age 32)	81	0	Al-Zawraa
22	1GK	Ahmed Basil	(1996-08-19) 19 August 1996 (age 27)	5	0	Al-Shorta
2	2DF	Rebin Sulaka	(1992-04-12) 12 April 1992 (age 32)	40	1	FC Seoul
3	2DF	Hussein Ali	(2002-03-01) 1 March 2002 (age 22)	10	0	Heerenveen
4	2DF	Saad Natiq	(1994-03-19) 19 March 1994 (age 30)	38	1	Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
5	2DF	Manaf Younis	(1996-11-16) 16 November 1996 (age 27)	15	1	Al-Shorta
6	2DF	Zaid Tahseen	(2001-01-29) 29 January 2001 (age 23)	9	1	Al-Talaba
15	2DF	Dhurgham Ismail	(1994-05-23) 23 May 1994 (age 29)	71	4	Al-Khaldiya
21	2DF	Frans Putros	(1993-07-14) 14 July 1993 (age 30)	19	0	Port
23	2DF	Merchas Doski	(1999-12-07) 7 December 1999 (age 24)	14	0	Slovácko
26	2DF	Mustafa Saadoun	(2001-05-25) 25 May 2001 (age 22)	2	0	Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
7	3MF	Safaa Hadi	(1998-10-14) 14 October 1998 (age 25)	38	1	Tractor
8	3MF	Ibrahim Bayesh	(2000-05-01) 1 May 2000 (age 23)	53	6	Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
9	3MF	Ahmed Yasin	(1991-04-22) 22 April 1991 (age 32)	66	6	Al-Kholood
11	3MF	Hasan Abdulkareem	(1999-04-17) 17 April 1999 (age 24)	13	1	Al-Zawraa
13	3MF	Bashar Resan	(1996-12-22) 22 December 1996 (age 27)	63	4	Al-Markhiya
14	3MF	Zidane Iqbal	(2003-04-27) 27 April 2003 (age 20)	10	1	Utrecht
16	3MF	Amir Al-Ammari	(1997-07-27) 27 July 1997 (age 26)	29	2	Halmstad
17	3MF	Ali Jasim	(2004-01-20) 20 January 2004 (age 20)	11	0	Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
19	3MF	Youssef Amyn	(2003-08-21) 21 August 2003 (age 20)	8	1	Eintracht Braunschweig
20	3MF	Osama Rashid	(1992-01-13) 13 January 1992 (age 32)	35	2	Vizela
24	3MF	Montader Madjed	(2005-04-24) 24 April 2005 (age 18)	3	0	Hammarby
25	3MF	Abdul-Razzaq Qasim	(2003-02-19) 19 February 2003 (age 21)	0	0	Al-Shorta
27	3MF	Louaï El Ani	(1997-07-12) 12 July 1997 (age 26)	2	0	Al-Zawraa
10	4FW	Mohanad Ali	(2000-06-20) 20 June 2000 (age 23)	46	20	Al-Shorta
18	4FW	Aymen Hussein	(1996-03-22) 22 March 1996 (age 28)	74	25	Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya

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	Fahad Talib	(1994-10-21) 21 October 1994 (age 29)	19	0	Sanat Naft Abadan	2023 AFC Asian CupINJ
GK	Ali Ebadi	(2000-02-16) 16 February 2000 (age 24)	0	0	Al-Kahrabaa	Training camp, June 2023PRE
DF	Ali Adnan	(1993-12-19) 19 December 1993 (age 30)	94	7	Mes Rafsanjan	2023 AFC Asian Cup
DF	Ahmed Yahya	(1997-05-27) 27 May 1997 (age 26)	6	0	Al-Shorta	2023 AFC Asian CupINJ
DF	Allan Mohideen	(1993-11-11) 11 November 1993 (age 30)	3	0	Utsikten	2023 AFC Asian Cup
DF	Mustafa Nadhim	(1993-09-23) 23 September 1993 (age 30)	43	4	Al-Zawraa	v.   Vietnam, 21 November 2023
DF	Masies Artien	(1993-08-08) 8 August 1993 (age 30)	1	0	Spakenburg	2023 Jordan International Tournament
DF	Ali Faez	(1994-09-09) 9 September 1994 (age 29)	48	4	Al-Talaba	v.   Colombia, 16 June 2023
DF	Alai Ghasem	(2003-02-16) 16 February 2003 (age 21)	8	0	AFC Eskilstuna	v.   Colombia, 16 June 2023INJ
DF	Mohanad Jeahze	(1997-04-10) 10 April 1997 (age 27)	4	0	D.C. United	Training camp, June 2023PRE
DF	Hammoud Mishaan	(1998-07-25) 25 July 1998 (age 25)	0	0	Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya	Training camp, June 2023PRE
MF	Ahmad Allée	(1996-04-29) 29 April 1996 (age 27)	4	0	Rouen	2023 AFC Asian Cup
MF	Danilo Al-Saed	(1999-02-24) 24 February 1999 (age 25)	3	0	Sandefjord	2023 AFC Asian Cup
MF	Akam Hashim	(1998-08-16) 16 August 1998 (age 25)	0	0	Erbil	2023 AFC Asian Cup
MF	Amjad Attwan	(1997-03-12) 12 March 1997 (age 27)	77	4	Zakho	2023 AFC Asian CupINJ
MF	Hussein Ali Al-Saedi	(1996-11-29) 29 November 1996 (age 27)	50	6	Al-Shorta	v.   Vietnam, 21 November 2023
MF	Ali Hayder	(2005-10-01) 1 October 2005 (age 18)	1	0	Stoke City U18	2023 Jordan International Tournament
MF	Ahmed Farhan	(1999-01-01) 1 January 1999 (age 25)	9	0	Al-Shorta	2023 Jordan International TournamentINJ
MF	André Alsanati	(2000-01-06) 6 January 2000 (age 24)	1	0	Sirius	2023 King's Cup
MF	Humam Tariq	(1996-02-10) 10 February 1996 (age 28)	75	3	Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya	v.   Colombia, 16 June 2023
MF	Sherko Karim	(1996-05-25) 25 May 1996 (age 27)	22	1	Erbil	v.   Colombia, 16 June 2023
MF	Kevin Yakob	(2000-10-10) 10 October 2000 (age 23)	1	0	AGF	v.   Colombia, 16 June 2023
MF	Moammel Abdulridha	(2000-03-28) 28 March 2000 (age 24)	3	0	Al-Talaba	Training camp, June 2023PRE
MF	Bassam Shakir	(2000-05-17) 17 May 2000 (age 23)	2	0	Al-Shorta	Training camp, June 2023PRE
MF	Sumar Almadjed	(1996-03-13) 13 March 1996 (age 28)	0	0	Helsingborg	Training camp, June 2023PRE
FW	Ali Al-Hamadi	(2002-03-01) 1 March 2002 (age 22)	12	3	Ipswich Town	2023 AFC Asian Cup
FW	Pashang Abdulla	(1994-05-29) 29 May 1994 (age 29)	3	0	Degerfors	v.   Vietnam, 21 November 2023
FW	Amin Al-Hamawi	(2003-12-17) 17 December 2003 (age 20)	2	0	Unattached	2023 King's Cup
FW	Alaa Abbas	(1997-07-27) 27 July 1997 (age 26)	27	4	Al-Zawraa	Training camp, June 2023PRE
SUS Player suspended INJ Player injured PRE Player was named in preliminary squad RET Player retired from the national team WD Player withdrew for non-injury related reasons INI Player was initially named in the squad, but was forced to withdraw before playing

As of 26 March 2024.
Players in bold are still active with Iraq.

Most capped players

 

Top goalscorers

 

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		10	7	1	2	25	11
1990	Did not qualify										6	3	2	1	11	5
1994											13	7	4	2	37	13
1998											4	2	0	2	14	8
2002											14	6	3	5	37	15
2006											6	3	2	1	17	7
2010											8	3	2	3	11	6
2014											16	7	3	6	20	12
2018											16	6	5	5	24	18
2022											18	6	8	4	20	16
2026	To be determined										4	4	0	0	12	1
2030											To be determined
2034
Total	Group stage	1/18	3	0	0	3	1	4	—		125	60	32	33	244	120

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										4	4	0	0	12	1
Total	1 Title	10/14	43	18	8	17	54	52	—		51	35	10	6	108	36
Champions    Runners-up    Third place    Fourth place *Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

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	—

Regional competitions

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
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	—
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	—
2021	Group stage	3	0	2	1	1	4	Squad	Qualified automatically
Total	4 Titles	28	16	10	2	47	20	—	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	To be determined
Total	4 Titles	73	37	25	11	132	64	—

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
1997	Did not enter
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

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

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

Key

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	7	3	2	1	9	3	+6
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	32	13	14	5	46	26	+20
Belgium	UEFA	1986	1	0	0	1	1	2	−1
Bolivia	CONMEBOL	2018	1	0	1	0	0	0	0
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
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	2	2	0	0	3	0	+3
India	AFC	1974	7	4	3	0	13	4	+9
Indonesia	AFC	1973	9	8	1	0	25	5	+20
Iran	AFC	1962	28	6	6	16	21	37	−16
Japan	AFC	1978	14	4	3	7	12	20	−8
Jordan	AFC	1964	51	27	13	11	82	52	+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	35	17	10	8	49	35	+14
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	28	13	9	6	46	25	+21
Pakistan	AFC	1969	9	7	1	1	40	6	+34
Paraguay	CONMEBOL	1986	1	0	0	1	0	1	−1
Palestine	AFC	2002	16	13	3	0	37	6	+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	36	17	9	10	55	31	+24
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	20	1	12	7	13	24	−11
Spain	UEFA	2009	1	0	0	1	0	1	−1
Sudan	CAF	2012	2	0	2	0	3	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	18	10	6	2	47	20	+27
Trinidad and Tobago	CONCACAF	1972	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	30	11	12	7	43	29	+14
Uzbekistan	AFC	1997	11	3	3	5	8	10	-2
Vietnam	AFC	2007	6	5	1	0	11	5	+6
Yemen	AFC	1993	14	11	3	0	35	7	+28
Zambia	CAF	2022	1	1	0	0	3	1	+2
Total			728	344	206	178	1168	674	+494
Last match updated was against    Philippines on 26 March 2024.