List of Iraqi football champions

Last updated

Iraqi League (1st tier)
Iraqi National First Division (1973–1974)
Iraq Stars League (1974–present)
Country
Flag of Iraq.svg Iraq
Founded
1973
Number of teams
20 (since 2014–15 season)
Current champions
Al-Shorta (2023–24)
Most successful club
Al-Zawraa (14 championships)

The Iraqi football champions are the winners of the highest league in Iraqi football. Following the establishment of the Iraq Football Association (IFA) in 1948, a regional league called the Iraq Central FA Premier League was held for teams from Baghdad and its neighbouring cities, alongside other regional leagues including the Basra, Kirkuk and Mosul leagues. These regional league championships lasted until 1973, [1] when the IFA established the first nationwide football league in Iraq by the name of Iraqi National First Division, which featured a mixture of clubs and institute teams.

Contents

After one season, a new clubs-only league competition was established, with many of the institute teams merging together or being replaced by sports clubs. The first season saw Al-Tayaran (now known as Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya) achieving the league title. [2] The four "Popular Teams" of Baghdad (Al-Zawraa, Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, Al-Shorta and Al-Talaba), have dominated the now-called Iraq Stars League over the years. Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya and Al-Shorta have appeared in every season of the top-flight, while Al-Zawraa and Al-Talaba have also never been relegated. [2]

Al-Zawraa have won 14 titles, the most of any club. [3] Erbil are the only club outside of Baghdad to achieve more than one title, having won four titles, all in the 21st century. [4] [5]

List of champions

Key to list of winners
†Champions also won the Iraq FA Cup that season for a double
*Champions also won the Iraq FA Cup and Arab Club Champions Cup that season for a treble
†Champions also won the Iraq FA Cup and Umm al-Ma'arik Championship that season for a domestic treble
‡Champions also won the Umm al-Ma'arik Championship that season
#Champions also won the AFC Cup that season

1973–1974: Iraqi National First Division

SeasonChampions (number of titles)Runners-upThird placeWinning manager
1973–74 Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Aliyat Al-Shorta Al-Minaa Flag of Iraq (1963-1991); Flag of Syria (1963-1972).svg Abdelilah Mohammed Hassan

1974–present: Iraq Stars League

SeasonChampions (number of titles)Runners-upThird placeWinning manager
Iraqi National Clubs League
1974–75 Al-Tayaran [lower-alpha 1] (2) Al-Naqil Al-Muwasalat Flag of Iraq (1963-1991); Flag of Syria (1963-1972).svg Abdelilah Mohammed Hassan
1975–76 Al-Zawraa † Al-Tayaran Al-Shorta Flag of Iraq (1963-1991); Flag of Syria (1963-1972).svg Saadi Salih
1976–77 Al-Zawraa (2) Al-Jamiea Al-Shorta Flag of Iraq (1963-1991); Flag of Syria (1963-1972).svg Saadi Salih
1977–78 Al-Minaa Al-Zawraa Al-Sinaa Flag of Iraq (1963-1991); Flag of Syria (1963-1972).svg Jamil Hanoon
1978–79 Al-Zawraa (3)† Al-Shorta Al-Talaba Flag of Iraq (1963-1991); Flag of Syria (1963-1972).svg Anwar Jassam
1979–80 Al-Shorta Al-Zawraa Al-Talaba Flag of Iraq (1963-1991); Flag of Syria (1963-1972).svg Douglas Aziz
1980–81 Al-Talaba Al-Shorta Al-Tayaran Flag of Iraq (1963-1991); Flag of Syria (1963-1972).svg Ammo Baba
1981–82 Al-Talaba (2) Al-Tayaran Al-Sinaa Flag of Iraq (1963-1991); Flag of Syria (1963-1972).svg Jamal Salih
1982–83 Salahaddin Al-Talaba Al-Tayaran Flag of Iraq (1963-1991); Flag of Syria (1963-1972).svg Wathiq Naji
1983–84 Al-Jaish Al-Talaba Al-Tayaran Flag of Iraq (1963-1991); Flag of Syria (1963-1972).svg Munthir Al-Waadh
1984–85 Cancelled due to FIFA World Cup qualification
1985–86 Al-Talaba (3) Al-Rasheed Al-Tayaran Flag of Iraq (1963-1991); Flag of Syria (1963-1972).svg Yahya Alwan
1986–87 Al-Rasheed * Al-Jaish Al-Shabab Flag of Iraq (1963-1991); Flag of Syria (1963-1972).svg Nasrat Nassir
1987–88 Al-Rasheed (2)* Al-Jaish Al-Tayaran Flag of Iraq (1963-1991); Flag of Syria (1963-1972).svg Jamal Salih
Iraqi Pan-National Clubs League
1988–89 Al-Rasheed (3) Al-Talaba Al-Tayaran Flag of Iraq (1963-1991); Flag of Syria (1963-1972).svg Jamal Salih
Iraqi National Clubs League
1989–90 Al-Tayaran [lower-alpha 1] (3) Al-Rasheed Al-Shorta Flag of Iraq (1963-1991); Flag of Syria (1963-1972).svg Amer Jameel
1990–91 Al-Zawraa (4)† Al-Talaba Al-Shorta Flag of Iraq (1991-2004).svg Falah Hassan
1991–92 Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (4)† Al-Zawraa Al-Karkh Flag of Iraq (1991-2004).svg Adil Yousef
1992–93 Al-Talaba (4)‡ Al-Zawraa Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Flag of Iraq (1991-2004).svg Ayoub Odisho
1993–94 Al-Zawraa (5)† Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Al-Talaba Flag of Iraq (1991-2004).svg Ammo Baba
1994–95 Al-Zawraa (6)† Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Al-Najaf Flag of Iraq (1991-2004).svg Hadi Mutanash
Iraqi Advanced League
1995–96 Al-Zawraa (7)† Al-Najaf Al-Shorta Flag of Iraq (1991-2004).svg Adnan Hamad
Iraqi Premier League
1996–97 Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (5)† Al-Zawraa Al-Talaba Flag of Iraq (1991-2004).svg Ayoub Odisho
1997–98 Al-Shorta (2) Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Al-Zawraa Flag of Iraq (1991-2004).svg Abdelilah Abdul-Hameed
1998–99 Al-Zawraa (8)† Al-Talaba Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Flag of Iraq (1991-2004).svg Amer Jameel
Iraqi First Division League
1999–2000 Al-Zawraa (9)† Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Al-Shorta Flag of Iraq (1991-2004).svg Adnan Hamad
Iraqi Elite League
2000–01 Al-Zawraa (10) Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Al-Shorta Flag of Iraq (1991-2004).svg Sabah Abdul-Jalil
2001–02 Al-Talaba (5)† Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Al-Shorta Flag of Iraq (1991-2004).svg Thair Ahmed
Iraqi First Division League
2002–03 Cancelled due to the Iraq War
Iraqi Premier League
2003–04 Cancelled due to scheduling and security issues
2004–05 Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (6) Al-Minaa Al-Talaba Flag of Iraq (2004-2008).svg Sabah Abdul-Jalil
2005–06 Al-Zawraa (11) Al-Najaf Erbil Flag of Iraq (2004-2008).svg Salih Radhi
2006–07 Erbil Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Al-Najaf Flag of Iraq (2004-2008).svg Akram Salman
2007–08 Erbil (2) Al-Zawraa Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Flag of Iraq.svg Thair Ahmed
2008–09 Erbil (3) Al-Najaf Duhok Flag of Iraq.svg Thair Ahmed
2009–10 Duhok Al-Talaba Al-Zawraa Flag of Iraq.svg Basim Qasim
Iraqi Elite League
2010–11 Al-Zawraa (12) Erbil Al-Sinaa Flag of Iraq.svg Radhi Shenaishil
2011–12 Erbil (4) Duhok Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Flag of Syria.svg Nizar Mahrous
2012–13 Al-Shorta (3) Erbil Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Flag of Iraq.svg Thair Jassam
Iraqi Premier League
2013–14 Ended prematurely without awarding title
2014–15 Naft Al-Wasat Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Al-Shorta Flag of Iraq.svg Abdul-Ghani Shahad
2015–16 Al-Zawraa (13) Naft Al-Wasat Al-Talaba Flag of Iraq.svg Basim Qasim
2016–17 Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (7)# Al-Naft Al-Shorta Flag of Iraq.svg Basim Qasim
2017–18 Al-Zawraa (14) Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Al-Naft Flag of Iraq.svg Ayoub Odisho
2018–19 Al-Shorta (4) Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Al-Zawraa Flag of Montenegro.svg Nebojša Jovović
2019–20 Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2020–21 Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (8)† Al-Zawraa Al-Najaf Flag of Iraq.svg Ayoub Odisho
2021–22 Al-Shorta (5) Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Al-Talaba Flag of Egypt.svg Moamen Soliman
2022–23 Al-Shorta (6) Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Al-Zawraa Flag of Iraq.svg Ahmed Salah
Iraq Stars League
2023–24 Al-Shorta (7)† Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Al-Zawraa Flag of Egypt.svg Moamen Soliman

Total titles won

There are 11 clubs who have won the Iraqi title.

Teams in bold compete in the Stars League as of the 2024–25 season.

RankClubWinnersRunners-upWinning seasons
1 Al-Zawraa 147 1975–76, 1976–77, 1978–79, 1990–91, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2005–06, 2010–11, 2015–16, 2017–18
2 Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 815 1973–74, 1974–75, 1989–90, 1991–92, 1996–97, 2004–05, 2016–17, 2020–21
3 Al-Shorta 72 1979–80, 1997–98, 2012–13, 2018–19, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24
4 Al-Talaba 57 1980–81, 1981–82, 1985–86, 1992–93, 2001–02
5 Erbil 42 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2011–12
6 Al-Rasheed 32 1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89
7 Al-Jaish 12 1983–84
Al-Minaa 11 1977–78
Duhok 11 2009–10
Naft Al-Wasat 11 2014–15
Salahaddin 10 1982–83

Titles won by club (%)

  Al-Zawraa – 14 (30%)
  Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya – 8 (17%)
  Al-Shorta – 7 (15%)
  Al-Talaba – 5 (11%)
  Erbil – 4 (9%)
  Al-Rasheed – 3 (7%)
  Other clubs – 5 (11%)

By region

RegionChampionshipsClubs
Baghdad
38
 Al-Zawraa (14), Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (8), Al-Shorta (7), Al-Talaba (5), Al-Rasheed (3), Al-Jaish (1)
Kurdistan
5
 Erbil (4), Duhok (1)
South
1
 Al-Minaa (1)
Central
1
 Salahaddin (1)
Central Euphrates
1
 Naft Al-Wasat (1)

By city

City / TownChampionshipsClubs
Baghdad
38
 Al-Zawraa (14), Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (8), Al-Shorta (7), Al-Talaba (5), Al-Rasheed (3), Al-Jaish (1)
Erbil
4
 Erbil (4)
Basra
1
 Al-Minaa (1)
Duhok
1
 Duhok (1)
Najaf
1
 Naft Al-Wasat (1)
Tikrit
1
 Salahaddin (1)

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya were known as Al-Tayaran from 1974 until 1991.

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References

  1. ↑ "Story of the Iraqi Football League". Kooora Forums (in Arabic). Abu Baqer Al-Ahmed. 11 February 2007.
  2. 1 2 Hashim, Refel. "Iraq 1975/76". RSSSF.
  3. ↑ Al-Nasser, Falah (22 May 2016). "Al-Zawra'a Are the Champions of the Premier League for the 13th Time in Their History". As-Sabah Al-Jadeed (in Arabic).
  4. ↑ Al-Sabti, Ali (2014). Iraqi League History 1974–2011. Iraq.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  5. ↑ Al-Munshi, Dr.Dhia (2005). Iraqi Football Encyclopedia: Chico.. Jamoli… and football in Iraq. Citadel Printing & Design, Al-Saadoun, Baghdad.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
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