List of Iraqi football champions

The Iraqi football champions are the winners of the highest league in Iraqi football, which since the 2013–14 season has been called the Iraqi Premier League.

Following the establishment of the Iraq Football Association in 1948, a regional league called the Iraq Central FA League was held for teams from Baghdad and its neighbouring cities, alongside other regional leagues in Basra, Kirkuk and Mosul each season up until 1973.[1][2] The first nationwide league of clubs in Iraq was established in 1974, by the name of the Iraqi National League, with many of the institute teams merging to form sports clubs. The first season saw Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya achieving the league.[3][4] The first team to get relegated was Al-Rafidain, and the first ever promoted teams consisted of five clubs including Al-Zawraa who succeeded in achieving the league title in their first season participating.[5]

The four "Popular Teams" of Baghdad (Al-Zawraa, Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, Al-Shorta and Al-Talaba), have dominated the now-called Iraqi Premier League over the years. Two of these teams have appeared in every single season since 1974, with those two being Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya and Al-Shorta, while Al-Zawraa and Al-Talaba (known as Al-Jamea at the time) made their first appearance in the Iraqi National League in 1975–76.[3][5] Al-Zawraa have won 14 titles, the most of any club.[6] Erbil are the only club outside of Baghdad to achieve more than one title, having won four titles, all in the 21st century.

List of champions

1973–1974: Iraqi National League of Clubs and Institutions

In the 1973–74 season, Iraq's first ever nationwide league, known as the Iraqi National League of Clubs and Institutions, was held and was won by Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya.[3]

Year Champions
(number of titles)		 Runners-up Third place Top goalscorer (club) Goals
1973–74 Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Aliyat Al-Shorta[2] Al-Minaa Zahrawi Jaber (Shorta Al-Najda)
Ammo Yousif (Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya)		 13

1974–present: Iraqi Premier League

In 1974, the Iraq Football Association decided to form the country's first nationwide league of clubs known as the Iraqi National League of Clubs (or Iraqi National League for short) which has been renamed various times since then and is now called the Iraqi Premier League.

Bold indicates Double winners – i.e. League and FA Cup winners OR League and Elite Cup winners OR League and AFC Cup winners

Bold Italic indicates Treble winners – i.e. League, FA Cup and Elite Cup winners OR League, FA Cup and Arab Club Champions Cup winners

Iraqi National League (1974–1988)
Year Champions
(number of titles)		 Runners-up Third place Top goalscorer (club) Goals
1974–75 Al-Tayaran[3] Al-Naqil Al-Muwasalat[4] Thamer Yousif (Al-Naqil) 12
1975–76 Al-Zawraa Al-Tayaran Al-Shorta Thamer Yousif (Al-Zawraa) 13
1976–77 Al-Zawraa (2) Al-Jamea[5] Al-Shorta Zahrawi Jaber (Al-Shorta) 6
1977–78 Al-Minaa Al-Zawraa Al-Sinaa Jalil Hanoon (Al-Minaa) 11
1978–79 Al-Zawraa (3) Al-Shorta Al-Talaba Falah Hassan (Al-Zawraa) 7
1979–80 Al-Shorta Al-Zawraa Al-Talaba Ali Hussein Mahmoud (Al-Shorta) 18
1980–81 Al-Talaba Al-Shorta Al-Tayaran Hussein Saeed (Al-Talaba) 11
1981–82 Al-Talaba (2) Al-Tayaran Al-Sinaa Thamer Yousif (Al-Zawraa) 14
1982–83 Salahaddin Al-Talaba Al-Tayaran Hussein Saeed (Al-Talaba) 17
1983–84 Al-Jaish Al-Talaba Al-Tayaran Ali Hussein Mahmoud (Al-Jaish) 18
1984–85 Season cancelled
1985–86 Al-Talaba (3) Al-Rasheed Al-Tayaran Hussein Saeed (Al-Talaba)
Ahmed Radhi (Al-Rasheed)
Rahim Hameed (Al-Jaish)		 9
1986–87 Al-Rasheed Al-Jaish Al-Shabab Rahim Hameed (Al-Jaish) 14
1987–88 Al-Rasheed (2) Al-Jaish Al-Tayaran Rahim Hameed (Al-Jaish) 15
Iraqi Pan-National League (1988–1989)
Year Champions
(number of titles)		 Runners-up Third place Leading goalscorer Goals
1988–89 Al-Rasheed (3) Al-Talaba Al-Tayaran Karim Saddam (Al-Zawraa) 22
Iraqi National League (1989–1995)
Year Champions
(number of titles)		 Runners-up Third place Leading goalscorer Goals
1989–90 Al-Tayaran[3] (2) Al-Rasheed Al-Shorta Karim Saddam (Al-Zawraa)
Majid Abdul-Ridha (Al-Shabab)		 13
1990–91 Al-Zawraa (4) Al-Talaba Al-Shorta Karim Saddam (Al-Zawraa) 20
1991–92 Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (3) Al-Zawraa Al-Karkh Ahmed Radhi (Al-Zawraa) 34
1992–93 Al-Talaba (4) Al-Zawraa Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Karim Saddam (Al-Zawraa) 35
1993–94 Al-Zawraa (5) Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Al-Talaba Younis Abid Ali (Al-Shorta) 36
1994–95 Al-Zawraa (6) Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Al-Najaf Muayad Joudi (Al-Karkh) 30
Iraqi Advanced League (1995–1996)
Year Champions
(number of titles)		 Runners-up Third place Leading goalscorer Goals
1995–96 Al-Zawraa (7) Al-Najaf Al-Shorta Hussam Fawzi (Al-Zawraa)
Ali Hassan (Al-Karkh)		 11
Iraqi Premier League (1996–1999)
Year Champions
(number of titles)		 Runners-up Third place Leading goalscorer Goals
1996–97 Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya[1] (4) Al-Zawraa Al-Talaba Ali Hashim (Al-Najaf) 19
1997–98 Al-Shorta (2) Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Al-Zawraa Mahmoud Majeed (Al-Shorta) 22
1998–99 Al-Zawraa (8) Al-Talaba Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Ahmed Khudhair (Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya)
Hashim Ridha (Al-Shorta)		 19
Iraqi First Division (1999–2000)
Year Champions
(number of titles)		 Runners-up Third place Leading goalscorer Goals
1999–2000 Al-Zawraa[1] (9) Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Al-Shorta Haidar Ayad (Al-Nasiriya) 28
Iraqi Elite League (2000–2002)
Year Champions
(number of titles)		 Runners-up Third place Leading goalscorer Goals
2000–01 Al-Zawraa[1] (10) Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Al-Shorta Hussein Abdullah (Duhok) 22
2001–02 Al-Talaba (5) Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Al-Shorta Hashim Ridha (Al-Shorta) 32
Iraqi First Division (2002–2003)
Year Champions
(number of titles)		 Runners-up Third place Leading goalscorer Goals
2002–03 Season cancelled
Iraqi Premier League (2003–2008)
Year Champions
(number of titles)		 Runners-up Third place Leading goalscorer Goals
2003–04 Season cancelled
2004–05 Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (5) Al-Minaa Al-Talaba Mustafa Karim (Al-Kahrabaa) 16
2005–06 Al-Zawraa (11) Al-Najaf Erbil Sahib Abbas (Karbalaa) 17
2006–07 Erbil Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Al-Najaf Ahmad Salah (Erbil) 11
2007–08 Erbil (2) Al-Zawraa Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Asaad Abdul-Nabi (Al-Kahrabaa) 14
Iraqi Premier Division (2008–2011)
Year Champions
(number of titles)		 Runners-up Third place Leading goalscorer Goals
2008–09 Erbil (3) Al-Najaf Duhok Ahmad Salah (Erbil) 15
2009–10 Duhok Al-Talaba Al-Zawraa Amjad Radhi (Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya) 31
2010–11 Al-Zawraa (12) Erbil Al-Sinaa Luay Salah (Erbil) 17
Iraqi Elite League (2011–2013)
Year Champions
(number of titles)		 Runners-up Third place Leading goalscorer Goals
2011–12 Erbil (4) Duhok Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Hammadi Ahmad (Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya) 27
2012–13 Al-Shorta (3) Erbil Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Amjad Radhi (Erbil) 25
Iraqi Premier League (2013–)
Year Champions
(number of titles)		 Runners-up Third place Leading goalscorer Goals
2013–14 Al-Shorta (4) Erbil Baghdad[6] Ali Salah (Al-Talaba) 14
2014–15 Naft Al-Wasat Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Al-Shorta Marwan Hussein (Al-Shorta) 15
2015–16 Al-Zawraa (13) Naft Al-Wasat Al-Talaba Mohannad Abdul-Raheem (Al-Zawraa)
Hammadi Ahmad (Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya)		 12
2016–17 Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (6) Al-Naft Al-Shorta Alaa Abdul-Zahra (Al-Zawraa) 23
2017–18 Al-Zawraa[1] (14) Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Al-Naft Wissam Saadoun (Naft Maysan) 24
2018–19 Al-Shorta (5) Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Al-Zawraa Alaa Abdul-Zahra (Al-Shorta) 28
2019–20 Season cancelled

Total titles won

Teams in bold compete in the Premier League as of the 2020–21 season.

Club Winners Runners-up Winning Seasons
Al-Zawraa 14 6 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
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 7 12 1973–74, 1974–75, 1989–90, 1991–92, 1996–97, 2004–05, 2016–17
Al-Talaba 5 7 1980–81, 1981–82, 1985–86, 1992–93, 2001–02
Al-Shorta 5 3 1979–80, 1997–98, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2018–19
Erbil 4 3 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2011–12
Al-Rasheed 3 2 1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89
Al-Jaish 1 2 1983–84
Al-Minaa 1 1 1977–78
Duhok 1 1 2009–10
Naft Al-Wasat 1 1 2014–15
Salahaddin 1 0 1982–83

Total titles won by region
Region Number of titles Clubs
Baghdad
35
 Al-Zawraa (14), Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (7), Al-Talaba (5), Al-Shorta (5), Al-Rasheed (3), Al-Jaish (1)
Kurdistan
5
 Erbil (4), Duhok (1)
South
1
 Al-Minaa (1)
Middle
1
 Salahaddin (1)
Middle Euphrates
1
 Naft Al-Wasat (1)

By city
City Championships Clubs
Baghdad
35
 Al-Zawraa (14), Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (7), Al-Talaba (5), Al-Shorta (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. a b c d Also won the Iraqi Super Cup.
  2. a Al-Shorta were inaugurated as a single sports club in 1974 to take the place of Aliyat Al-Shorta, Shorta Al-Najda and Kuliya Al-Shorta in IFA competitions.
  3. a b Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya were known as Al-Tayaran from 1974 until 1991.
  4. a Al-Muwasalat were formed in 1974 by the merger of Al-Bareed and Al-Minaa, but folded in 1975 and Al-Minaa were brought back.
  5. a Al-Talaba were known as Al-Jamea until 1977.
  6. a Amanat Baghdad were known as Baghdad from 2009 until 2014.

References
  1. "Story of the Iraqi Football League". Kooora Forums (in Arabic). Abu Baqer Al-Ahmed. 11 February 2007.
  2. "All the Story - Iraqi League". Iraqi Football Archive (in Arabic).
  3. Hashim, Refel. "Iraq 1973/74". RSSSF.
  4. Hashim, Refel. "Iraq 1974/75". RSSSF.
  5. Hashim, Refel. "Iraq 1975/76". RSSSF.
  6. 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).
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