Iraqi League (1st tier) Iraqi National First Division (1973–1974)Iraq Stars League (1974–present) Country Founded 1973 Number of teams 20 (since 2014–15 season) Current champions Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (2025–26) 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, when the IFA established the first nationwide football league in Iraq by the name of Iraqi National First Division League, which featured a mixture of clubs and institute teams.
After one season, a new clubs-only league competition was established, with many of the institute teams merging or being replaced by sports clubs. The first season saw Al-Tayaran (now known as Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya) achieving the league title. 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.
Al-Zawraa have won 14 titles, the most of any club. 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 +Key to list of winnersChampions 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 Baghdad Championship that season for a domestic treble‡Champions also won the Baghdad Championship that season#Champions also won the AFC Cup that season
1973–1974: Iraqi National First Division Season Champions (number of titles) Runners-up Third place Winning manager1973–74Al-Quwa Al-JawiyaAliyat Al-ShortaAl-Minaa Abdelilah Mohammed Hassan
1974–present: Iraq Stars League Season Champions (number of titles) Runners-up Third place Winning manager1974–75Al-Tayaran (2)Al-NaqilAl-Muwasalat Abdelilah Mohammed Hassan1975–76Al-ZawraaAl-TayaranAl-Shorta Saadi Salih1976–77Al-Zawraa (2)Al-JamieaAl-Shorta Saadi Salih1977–78Al-MinaaAl-ZawraaAl-Sinaa Jamil Hanoon1978–79Al-Zawraa (3)Al-ShortaAl-Talaba Anwar Jassam1979–80Al-ShortaAl-ZawraaAl-Talaba Douglas Aziz1980–81Al-TalabaAl-ShortaAl-Tayaran Ammo Baba1981–82Al-Talaba (2)Al-TayaranAl-Sinaa Jamal Salih1982–83SalahaddinAl-TalabaAl-Tayaran Wathiq Naji1983–84Al-JaishAl-TalabaAl-Tayaran Munthir Al-Waadh1984–85Cancelled due to FIFA World Cup qualification1985–86Al-Talaba (3)Al-RasheedAl-Tayaran Yahya Alwan1986–87Al-Rasheed*Al-JaishAl-Shabab Nasrat Nassir1987–88Al-Rasheed (2)*Al-JaishAl-Tayaran Jamal Salih1988–89Al-Rasheed (3)Al-TalabaAl-Tayaran Jamal Salih1989–90Al-Tayaran (3)Al-RasheedAl-Shorta Amer Jameel1990–91Al-Zawraa (4)Al-TalabaAl-Shorta Falah Hassan1991–92Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (4)Al-ZawraaAl-Karkh Adil Yousef1992–93Al-Talaba (4)‡Al-ZawraaAl-Quwa Al-Jawiya Ayoub Odisho1993–94Al-Zawraa (5)Al-Quwa Al-JawiyaAl-Talaba Ammo Baba1994–95Al-Zawraa (6)Al-Quwa Al-JawiyaAl-Najaf Hadi Mutanash1995–96Al-Zawraa (7)Al-NajafAl-Shorta Adnan Hamad1996–97Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (5)†Al-ZawraaAl-Talaba Ayoub Odisho1997–98Al-Shorta (2)Al-Quwa Al-JawiyaAl-Zawraa Abdelilah Abdul-Hameed1998–99Al-Zawraa (8)Al-TalabaAl-Quwa Al-Jawiya Amer Jameel1999–2000Al-Zawraa (9)†Al-Quwa Al-JawiyaAl-Shorta Adnan Hamad2000–01Al-Zawraa (10)Al-Quwa Al-JawiyaAl-Shorta Sabah Abdul-Jalil2001–02Al-Talaba (5)Al-Quwa Al-JawiyaAl-Shorta Thair Ahmed2002–03Cancelled due to the Iraq War2003–04Cancelled due to scheduling and security issues2004–05Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (6)Al-MinaaAl-Talaba Sabah Abdul-Jalil2005–06Al-Zawraa (11)Al-NajafErbil Salih Radhi2006–07ErbilAl-Quwa Al-JawiyaAl-Najaf Akram Salman2007–08Erbil (2)Al-ZawraaAl-Quwa Al-Jawiya Thair Ahmed2008–09Erbil (3)Al-NajafDuhok Thair Ahmed2009–10DuhokAl-TalabaAl-Zawraa Basim Qasim2010–11Al-Zawraa (12)ErbilAl-Sinaa Radhi Shenaishil2011–12Erbil (4)DuhokAl-Quwa Al-Jawiya Nizar Mahrous2012–13Al-Shorta (3)ErbilAl-Quwa Al-Jawiya Thair Jassam2013–14Ended prematurely without awarding title2014–15Naft Al-WasatAl-Quwa Al-JawiyaAl-Shorta Abdul-Ghani Shahad2015–16Al-Zawraa (13)Naft Al-WasatAl-Talaba Basim Qasim2016–17Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (7)#Al-NaftAl-Shorta Basim Qasim2017–18Al-Zawraa (14)Al-Quwa Al-JawiyaAl-Naft Ayoub Odisho2018–19Al-Shorta (4)Al-Quwa Al-JawiyaAl-Zawraa Nebojša Jovović2019–20Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic2020–21Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (8)Al-ZawraaAl-Najaf Ayoub Odisho2021–22Al-Shorta (5)Al-Quwa Al-JawiyaAl-Talaba Moamen Soliman2022–23Al-Shorta (6)Al-Quwa Al-JawiyaAl-Zawraa Ahmed Salah2023–24Al-Shorta (7)Al-Quwa Al-JawiyaAl-Zawraa Moamen Soliman2024–25Al-Shorta (8)Al-ZawraaZakho Moamen Soliman2025–26Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (9)Al-ShortaErbil Rashid Jaber
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.
Rank Club Winners Winning seasons1 Al-Zawraa1481975–76, 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 9151973–74, 1974–75, 1989–90, 1991–92, 1996–97, 2004–05, 2016–17, 2020–21, 2025–26 3 Al-Shorta831979–80, 1997–98, 2012–13, 2018–19, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–254 Al-Talaba571980–81, 1981–82, 1985–86, 1992–93, 2001–025 Erbil422006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2011–126 Al-Rasheed321986–87, 1987–88, 1988–897 Al-Jaish121983–84 Al-Minaa111977–78 Duhok112009–10 Naft Al-Wasat112014–15 Salahaddin101982–83
By region Region Championships Clubs Baghdad Al-Zawraa (14), Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (9), Al-Shorta (8), Al-Talaba (5), Al-Rasheed (3), Al-Jaish (1) Kurdistan Erbil (4), Duhok (1) South Al-Minaa (1) Central Salahaddin (1) Central Euphrates Naft Al-Wasat (1)
By city City / Town Championships Clubs Baghdad Al-Zawraa (14), Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (9), Al-Shorta (8), Al-Talaba (5), Al-Rasheed (3), Al-Jaish (1) Erbil Erbil (4) Basra Al-Minaa (1) Duhok Duhok (1) Najaf Naft Al-Wasat (1) Tikrit Salahaddin (1)
See also For Iraqi women's football champions, see Iraqi Women's Football League: List of champions Iraq Central FA Premier League Iraq FA Basra Premier League Iraq FA Kirkuk Premier League Iraqi National First Division Iraq Stars League
Notes
References
External links Iraq Football Association