Maysan Olympic Stadium

What defines the Maysan Olympic Stadium is not its size or its location, but the long period it spent serving a purpose entirely unrelated to sport. When the United States occupation began in 2003, the venue ceased to be a local landmark and became a military base. It was not until 2011 that renovation plans started to take shape, but funding shortages halted the work for several years. Construction finally resumed in 2016, and the stadium was officially re-opened on July 22, 2017. The project installed 25,000 individual seats and a new running track, though a planned full roof was not completed at the time of reopening. The primary tenant is Naft Maysan SC, a club founded in 2003 by Iraq’s Ministry of Oil, which plays in the Iraq Stars League. During the renovation period, the club likely played home matches at temporary venues. It is important to distinguish this venue from Al-Maimuna Stadium, a separate, smaller stadium in the same province which serves as the home ground for Maysan FC and previously Al-Maimouna SC. Maysan Olympic Stadium has not been officially renamed Al-Maimuna Stadium. The stadium sits in Amarah, the capital of the Maysan Governorate, owned by the Iraqi government.