 | |
| Organising body | Iraqi Pro League Association |
|---|---|
| Founded | 18 August 1974; 50 years ago (1974-08-18) |
| Country | Iraq |
| Confederation | AFC |
| Number of clubs | 20 (since2014–15) |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Relegation to | Iraqi Premier Division League |
| Domestic cup(s) | Iraq FA Cup Iraqi Super Cup |
| International cup(s) | AFC Champions League Elite AFC Champions League Two Arab Club Champions Cup AGCFF Gulf Club Champions League |
| Current champions | Al-Shorta (7th title) (2023–24) |
| Most championships | Al-Zawraa (14 titles) |
| Top goalscorer | Amjad Radhi (181) |
| TV partners | Al-Iraqiya TV Al-Kass Sports |
| Current:2024–25 Iraq Stars League | |
TheIraq Stars League (Arabic:دوري نجوم العراق,romanized: Dawrī Nujūm Al-'Irāq), is the highest level of theIraqi football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system ofpromotion and relegation with theIraqi Premier Division League. It is governed by theIraqi Pro League Association.
The league was formed by theIraq Football Association in 1974 as the Iraqi National Clubs League, the first nationwide league of clubs in Iraq, and later became known as the Iraqi Premier League. In 2023, the competition was transformed into a professional league under the name Iraq Stars League. The current format sees 20 teams playing 38 matches each (playing each team in the league twice, home and away), totalling 380 matches in the season.
Of the 80 teams to have competed since the inception of the league in 1974, eleven have won the title.Al-Zawraa are the most successful club with 14 titles, followed byAl-Quwa Al-Jawiya (7),Al-Shorta (7) andAl-Talaba (5), who together contest theBaghdad derbies. The current champions are Al-Shorta, who won their third consecutive title in the2023–24 season.
Up until 1973, leagues in Iraq were played at a regional level.[1] TheCentral FA League, theBasra League and theKirkuk League were all founded in 1948,[2] while the Mosul League was founded in 1950.[3] The first nationwide league to be held in the country was in the 1973–74 season when theIraqi National First Division was formed,[4] withAl-Quwa Al-Jawiya being crowned champions.[5] The IFA then decided to replace the competition with a new National Clubs League which would only be open to clubs and not institute-representative teams.[6]
The league held its first season in1974–75 and was originally composed of ten clubs.[7] The league's first ever goal was scored byFalah Hassan ofAl-Tayaran (now known as Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya) in a 1–1 draw withAl-Sinaa.[8] Al-Tayaran were crowned champions of the inaugural season which featured the following teams:[9]
On 4 June 2023,Iraq Football Association (IFA) signed a three-year partnership agreement withLiga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional (LaLiga) to transform the Iraqi Premier League into a professional league from the2023–24 season. The competition is named the Iraq Stars League and is designed to meet the licensing criteria set down by theAsian Football Confederation (AFC). A new association named theIraqi Pro League Association, chaired by Javier Jiménez Sacristán and Matteo Mantovani, was formed to operate the competition and supervise the associated youth leagues.[10] An Iraqi management team is also being trained by LaLiga to take control of the committee once the partnership deal ends.[11] A start date of 26 October 2023 was set for the first Stars League season.[12]
| Season | QWJ | SHR | TLB | ZWR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989–90 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 4 |
| 1990–91 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 1991–92 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 2 |
| 1992–93 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| 1993–94 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 1 |
| 1994–95 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 1 |
| 1995–96 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 1 |
| 1996–97 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| 1997–98 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 3 |
| 1998–99 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 1 |
| 1999–2000 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
| 2000–01 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
| 2001–02 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| Top four | 11 | 8 | 10 | 13 |
| out of 13 | ||||
| League champions | ||||
Ever since the league began, it has been dominated by the four biggest clubs inBaghdad:Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya,Al-Shorta,Al-Talaba andAl-Zawraa, who together contest theBaghdad derbies.[13] From the1989–90 season until the2005–06 season, the league was won by one of the four Baghdad teams every time.[6] After the2003 US invasion of Iraq, players started to leave theBaghdad-based clubs and join clubs in the North such asErbil andDuhok due to the economic instability and security issues in the capital city.[14] This led to a shift in the dominance of the "Big Four" asErbil won three consecutive league titles from 2007 to 2009 withDuhok winning the league in 2010.[15] In the2008–09 season, none of Baghdad's Big Four clubs finished in the top four and this is the only time that this has happened in the history of the league; the top four spots were occupied byErbil,Al-Najaf,Duhok andAl-Amana.[16] However, Baghdad's Big Four have since returned to dominating the league, having won all titles since2015–16.
There are currently 20 clubs in the Iraq Stars League. During the course of a season, each club plays the others twice (a doubleround-robin system), once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents, for a total of 38 games (however, matches between Baghdad's Big Four clubs are played at the neutral venue ofAl-Shaab Stadium to accommodate more spectators).[17]
Teams receivethree points for a win and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss. Teams areranked by total points, then head-to-head points, then head-to-headgoal difference, then total goal difference, then goals scored and then number of wins.[17] If still equal, teams are deemed to occupy the same position. If there is a tie for the championship, for relegation, or for qualification to other competitions, a play-off match at a neutral venue decides rank.[17]
The two teams at the bottom of the league table are relegated to theIraqi Premier Division League, while the top two teams in the Premier Division League are promoted to the Stars League. The 18th-placed team in the Stars League competes in a play-off with the 3rd-placed team from the Premier Division League for a place in the following season's Stars League. Each club must register a 25-man squad for the season, but are not required to register players who have been registered for their reserve or youth teams. Each club is allowed a maximum of six foreign outfield players in their squad, however this restriction does not apply to Yemeni players and to a maximum of one Syrian player. Only six foreign players including Yemeni and Syrian players can play at any given time, and no more than two players from countries ranked below 90th in theFIFA Men's World Ranking can play at any given time. A maximum of five substitutions are available per match for each team.[18]
The winners of the league qualify for theIraqi Super Cup, a match played against the winners of theIraq FA Cup (if the league winners also win the Iraq FA Cup, they play the league runners-up instead).[19]
Twenty clubs are competing in the 2024–25 Iraq Stars League, including two promoted from thePremier Division League:
| 2024–25 Club | 2023–24 Position | First season in the league | Seasons in the league | First season of current spell in the league | Titles | Most recent title |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al-Hudood | 9th | 2008–09 | 13 | 2022–23 | 0 | – |
| Al-Kahrabaa | 13th | 2004–05 | 20 | 2014–15 | 0 | – |
| Al-Karkh | 15th | 1990–91 | 29 | 2018–19 | 0 | – |
| Al-Karmab | 2nd (PDL) | 2024–25 | 1 | 2024–25 | 0 | – |
| Al-Minaa | 12th | 1975–76 | 47 | 2023–24 | 1 | 1977–78 |
| Al-Naftb | 11th | 1985–86 | 40 | 1985–86 | 0 | – |
| Al-Najafb | 4th | 1987–88 | 38 | 1987–88 | 0 | – |
| Al-Qasimb | 17th | 2019–20 | 6 | 2019–20 | 0 | – |
| Al-Quwa Al-Jawiyaa, b | 2nd | 1974–75 | 51 | 1974–75 | 7 | 2020–21 |
| Al-Shortaa, b | 1st | 1974–75 | 51 | 1974–75 | 7 | 2023–24 |
| Al-Talabab | 8th | 1975–76 | 50 | 1975–76 | 5 | 2001–02 |
| Al-Zawraab | 3rd | 1975–76 | 50 | 1975–76 | 14 | 2017–18 |
| Diyala | 1st (PDL) | 1975–76 | 15 | 2024–25 | 0 | – |
| Duhok | 6th | 1988–89 | 22 | 2022–23 | 1 | 2009–10 |
| Erbil | 14th | 1987–88 | 33 | 2018–19 | 4 | 2011–12 |
| Karbala | 16th | 1992–93 | 23 | 2022–23 | 0 | – |
| Naft Al-Basra | 18th | 2004–05 | 20 | 2012–13 | 0 | – |
| Naft Maysan | 10th | 2009–10 | 14 | 2013–14 | 0 | – |
| Newrozb | 7th | 2021–22 | 4 | 2021–22 | 0 | – |
| Zakho | 5th | 2002–03 | 20 | 2019–20 | 0 | – |
a: Founding member of the league
b: Never been relegated from the league
Since its first season in1974–75 up until the2024–25 season (not counting the qualifying rounds of the2000–01 season), 80 teams have taken part in at least a single round. The teams in bold are competing in the Iraq Stars League in the 2024–25 season.Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya andAl-Shorta are the only teams to have played in every single one of the 51 seasons.
The champions of the Iraq Stars League qualify for the subsequent season'sAFC Champions League Elite league stage, while the winners of theIraq FA Cup qualify for theAFC Champions League Two group stage. If the same team wins the Stars League and the FA Cup, the Stars League runners-up qualify for the AFC Champions League Two group stage. The number of places allocated to Iraqi clubs inAFC competitions is dependent upon the position the country holds in theAFC Club Competitions Ranking, which is calculated based upon the performance of teams in AFC competitions in the previous four years.[20]
Collectively, Iraqi teams have reached nine finals of Asian club competitions. Before the foundation of the national league,Aliyat Al-Shorta were the first Iraqi team to participate in theAsian Champion Club Tournament in1971 and they reached the final, but they refused to play Israeli sideMaccabi Tel Aviv and took the runner-up spot.[21]Al-Rasheed reached the final of theAsian Club Championship in1989 but they lost a two-legged final on away goals toAl-Saad ofQatar.[21]Al-Talaba reached the final of the1995 Asian Cup Winners' Cup but they lost it 2–1 toBellmare Hiratsuka,[22] and five years later,Al-Zawraa lost the final of the same competition 1–0 toShimizu S-Pulse in2000.[23]Erbil reached the final of Asia's secondary tournament, theAFC Cup, twice in2012 and2014 but lost both times toAl-Kuwait andAl-Qadsia respectively.[14]Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya managed to win the AFC Cup when they beatIndian clubBengaluru FC 1–0 in the2016 final, and they won the competition for the second consecutive season in2017 by beatingFC Istiklol by the same scoreline. They earned a joint-record third AFC Cup title with a 2–0 defeat ofAltyn Asyr in2018.[24]
Iraqi clubs also participate in theArab Club Champions Cup and theAGCFF Gulf Club Champions League, which are organised by theUnion of Arab Football Associations and theArab Gulf Cup Football Federation respectively.Al-Shorta won the inauguralArab Club Champions Cup in1982 by defeatingAl-Nejmeh 4–2 on aggregate in the final.[25] Meanwhile,Al-Rasheed won the Arab Club Champions Cup three times in a row in1985,1986 and1987 and are the competition's joint-most successful side.[26]
The league was founded as the National Clubs League and has been renamed several times, with the current Stars League name remaining in place since 2023. The competition has had title sponsorship rights sold to three companies, which wereZain Iraq in the 2009–10 season,[27]Asiacell in the 2010–11 and 2011–12 seasons[28] andFuchs in the 2015–16 season.[29]
| Period | Sponsor | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 1974–1988 | No sponsor | National Clubs League |
| 1988–1989 | Pan-National Clubs League | |
| 1989–1995 | National Clubs League | |
| 1995–1996 | Advanced League | |
| 1996–1999 | Premier League | |
| 1999–2000 | First Division League | |
| 2000–2002 | Elite League | |
| 2002–2003 | First Division League | |
| 2003–2009 | Premier League | |
| 2009–2010 | Zain Iraq | Zain Iraq League |
| 2010–2012 | Asiacell | Asiacell Elite League |
| 2012–2013 | No sponsor | Elite League |
| 2013–2015 | Premier League | |
| 2015–2016 | Fuchs | Fuchs Premier League |
| 2016–2023 | No sponsor | Premier League |
| 2023–present | Stars League |
Managers in the Iraq Stars League are involved in the day-to-day running of the team, including the training, team selection and player acquisition. Their influence varies from club-to-club. Managers are required to have anAFC Pro-Diploma which is the highest level ofcoachingaccreditation issued by theAsian Football Confederation (AFC).[30]
| Manager | Nationality | Club | Appointed | Time as manager |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Talal Al-Bloushi |  Qatar | Zakho | 21 August 2023 | 1 year, 217 days |
| Abdul-Ghani Shahad |  Iraq | Al-Najaf | 9 January 2024 | 1 year, 76 days |
| Ayman Hakeem |  Syria | Al-Qasim | 9 March 2024 | 1 year, 17 days |
| Ali Abdul-Jabbar | Iraq | Naft Maysan | 11 April 2024 | 349 days |
| Samir Babo | Iraq | Erbil | 20 May 2024 | 310 days |
| Basim Qasim | Iraq | Al-Talaba | 21 July 2024 | 248 days |
| Mesut Meral |  Sweden | Duhok | 3 August 2024 | 235 days |
| Adel Nima | Iraq | Al-Naft | 8 August 2024 | 230 days |
| Hassan Ahmed | Iraq | Karbala | 2 September 2024 | 205 days |
| Thair Jassam | Iraq | Al-Hudood | 5 November 2024 | 141 days |
| Yamen Zelfani |  Tunisia | Diyala | 12 November 2024 | 134 days |
| Luay Salah | Iraq | Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya | 6 December 2024 | 110 days |
| Qahtan Chathir | Iraq | Newroz | 13 December 2024 | 103 days |
| Ahmad Abdul-Jabar | Iraq | Al-Karkh | 15 January 2025 | 70 days |
| Salim Nayrouz | Iraq | Naft Al-Basra | 27 January 2025 | 58 days |
| Ahmed Khalef | Iraq | Al-Karma | 30 January 2025 | 55 days |
| Radhi Shenaishil | Iraq | Al-Kahrabaa | 31 January 2025 | 54 days |
| Hussam Al Sayed | Syria | Al-Minaa | 21 February 2025 | 33 days |
| Haider Obeid | Iraq | Al-Zawraa | 26 February 2025 | 28 days |
| Moamen Soliman |  Egypt | Al-Shorta | 17 March 2025 | 9 days |
| Rank | Player | Goals | First app | Last app | Club(s) (goals) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amjad Radhi | 181 | 2007 | present | Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (98),Erbil (75),Al-Najaf (8) |
| 2 | Sahib Abbas | 177 | 1988 | 2012 | Salahaddin (42),Al-Zawraa (62),Al-Talaba (18),Karbala (50),Al-Sinaa (5) |
| 3 | Karim Saddam | 171 | 1979 | 1996 | Al-Sinaa (23),Al-Jaish (11),Al-Rasheed (4),Al-Zawraa (127),Al-Shorta (6) |
| 4 | Ali Hashim | 170 | 1987 | 2004 | Al-Najaf (149),Al-Karkh (21) |
| 5 | Hussein Abdullah | 167 | 1991 | 2010 | Al-Sinaa (32),Al-Naft (16),Diyala (40),Duhok (58),Erbil (14),Kirkuk (2),Peris (5) |
| 6 | Hammadi Ahmed | 163 | 2005 | 2023 | Samarra (19),Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (144) |
| Alaa Abdul-Zahra | 163 | 2004 | present | Al-Zawraa (54),Duhok (26),Al-Shorta (78),Al-Minaa (5) | |
| 8 | Younis Abid Ali | 157 | 1983 | 2000 | Al-Shorta (135),Al-Rasheed (15),Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (3),Al-Difaa Al-Jawi (4) |
| 9 | Ahmed Radhi | 146 | 1981 | 1999 | Al-Zawraa (103),Al-Rasheed (43) |
| 10 | Alaa Kadhim | 145 | 1988 | 2007 | Al-Sinaa (8),Al-Talaba (137) |
Bold denotes players still playing in the Iraq Stars League.
The current Iraq Stars League trophy was revealed on 13 July 2024 and was sculpted by the Iraqi painter and sculptorAhmed Albahrani. The trophy is predominantly silver in colour, and features a silver and golden football at the top. The trophy has a silver base with the words "Iraq Stars League" written in English and Arabic, alongside the logo of the competition and the season.[31]
The following managers have won multiple titles:[48]
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