Football national side

Iraq

National team · Iraq

«Lions of Mesopotamia»

85 Matches

37 wins

25 draws

23 losses

105–93 Goals

+12 Difference

1.2 Scored per game

Form L L L D W L

Baghdad is where Iraqi football is run from — the federation's offices sit near Al-Shaab Stadium in the Zayouna district — but the national side's real home lies four hundred kilometres south, in Basra. The Basra International Stadium, known as the Palm Tree, holds 65,227 and has become the ground where Iraq's biggest nights now play out, rather than the capital that gives the team its address on paper.

Getting back to playing at home at all took decades. After Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait, the country slid into footballing isolation, and FIFA suspended the federation twice more, in 2009 and 2014, over government interference in the game. For long stretches "home" fixtures were staged in Iran, Jordan and Qatar, wherever a pitch could be found clear of war and unrest. Iraq did not play on its own soil again until 2009, and that match was fixed for Erbil, in the north, rather than Baghdad or Basra.

The team's only Asian Cup title, won in 2007, landed in the middle of that turmoil, which is part of why it is still recalled as one of the tournament's great upsets. Iraq's Arab Cup record stands at four titles — 1964, 1966, 1985 and 1988 — more than any other nation has managed. The Gulf Cup has gone to Iraq four times as well, most recently in 2023.

Known to their own supporters as the Lions of Mesopotamia, Iraq measure their sharpest rivalry against Iran, a hostility sharpened by the war the two countries fought between 1980 and 1988; games against Kuwait have carried their own edge since the 1990 occupation, and Saudi Arabia remains a regular test. Hussein Saeed stands as the country's leading scorer, with 78 goals from 137 appearances. Younis Mahmoud, who captained the side to that 2007 title, holds the appearance record — 148 caps.

Latest results

Fixtures and results

29 Sep	Gulf Cup of Nations	Saudi Arabia A	0:2	L
26 Sep	Gulf Cup of Nations	Kuwait A	3:2	W
23 Sep	Gulf Cup of Nations	Oman H	1:1	D
26 Jun	World Cup	Senegal A	0:5	L
22 Jun	World Cup	France A	0:3	L
16 Jun	World Cup	Norway H	1:4	L

Standing

Gulf Cup of Nations

Group stage · Group A

#	Team	M	W	D	L	Goals	Pts
1	Saudi Arabia	3	3	0	0	6:0	9
2	Oman	3	1	1	1	4:5	4
3	Iraq	3	1	1	1	4:5	4
4	Kuwait	3	0	0	3	3:7	0

Full table

Team statistics

matches counted in total: 85

85 Matches

37 wins

25 draws

23 losses

105–93 Goals

+12 Difference

1.2 Scored per game

Match outcomes matches counted in total: 85

37 25 23

wins draws losses

Scored and conceded last matches

scored — above the line conceded — below the line

Metric	Total	Home	Away
Matches	85	42	43
Scored	105	66	39
Conceded	93	46	47
Scored per game	1.2	1.6	0.9
Conceded per game	1.1	1.1	1.1
Difference	+12	+20	−8

Key players

by appearances over the last year

Ahmed Qasem Midfielder 4 Matches

Amir Fouad Aboud Al Ammari Midfielder 4 Matches

Zidane Aamar Iqbal Midfielder 4 Matches

Hussein Ali Defender 4 Matches

Merchas Ghazi Salih Doski Defender 4 Matches

Aimar Hazar Sher Midfielder 4 Matches

Frans Putros Defender 4 Matches

Aymen Hussein Ghadhban Forward 4 Matches

Squad of Iraq

by appearances over the last year

Number	Player	Position	Age	Matches
11	Ahmed Qasem	Midfielder	23	4
16	Amir Fouad Aboud Al Ammari	Midfielder	29	4
14	Zidane Aamar Iqbal	Midfielder	23	4
3	Hussein Ali	Defender	24	4
23	Merchas Ghazi Salih Doski	Defender	26	4
20	Aimar Hazar Sher	Midfielder	23	4
26	Frans Putros	Defender		4
18	Aymen Hussein Ghadhban	Forward		4
24	Z. Ismael	Midfielder		4
9	Ali Ibrahim Karim Al Hamadi	Forward		4
17	A. Jasim	Midfielder		4
8	Ibraheem Bayesh Kamil Al Kaabawi	Midfielder		4
4	Zayed Tahseen	Defender		4
12	Jalal Hassan	Goalkeeper		4
5	Akam Hashem	Defender		4
22	Ahmed Basil	Goalkeeper		4
1	Fahad Talib	Goalkeeper		4
2	Rebin Sulaka	Defender		4
15	Ahmed Hasan Maknazi Al Reeshawee	Defender		4
25	Mustafa Saadoun	Defender		4
6	Munaf Younus Hashim Al Tekreeti	Defender		4
7	Youssef Wali Faeq Amyn	Forward		4
21	Marko Hussein Farji	Midfielder		4
19	Kevin Enkido Yakob	Midfielder		4
10	Mohanad Ali Kadhim	Forward		3
13	Ali Yousif Hashim	Forward		3
13	A. Yusuf	Forward		1