Many Iraqis were forced to leave their homeland during different periods of political instability, wars and economic hardship, particularly following the Gulf War, the Iraq War and the 2003 invasion of Iraq. As a result, large Iraqi communities emerged across Europe, North America and Australia, producing several generations of footballers who developed in foreign academies and professional systems abroad.
In the 2010s and 2020s, the Iraq Football Association increasingly relied on diaspora players to strengthen the national team and youth selections. Iraqi footballers abroad have notably emerged in countries such as Sweden, Denmark, England, Germany, Australia and the Netherlands, with many players being of Assyrian, Kurdish or Arab Iraqi descent.
Some players represented the national teams of their countries of birth at youth level before later switching allegiance to Iraq, while others continue to play abroad without international caps. Iraqi diaspora footballers have become an increasingly visible part of Iraqi football. This has widened the player pool available to Iraqi national teams and has allowed the country to draw on players with experience in different tactical and developmental environments.
Players marked in bold have represented the Iraqi national team at senior or youth international level. The tables include both professional and youth players of Iraqi origin currently active abroad or in foreign football systems.
Iraq The following players currently play in Iraq but began their careers abroad.
PlayerDate of birthClubPositionHeightPreferred footRefs Abbas Mohamad Amanat Baghdad SC (Iraq Stars League) (#6) Centre-back Right Abdelelah Faisal Al-Karma SC (Iraq Stars League) (#8) Left winger Right Hussein Shehait Al-Karma SC (Iraq Stars League) Centre-back Louaï El Ani Al-Karma SC (Iraq Stars League) (#10) Attacking midfielder Right Mustafa Owaid Al-Gharraf SC (Iraq Stars League) (#20) Right-back Right Aysar Qasim Mohammed Al-Qasim SC (Iraq Stars League) (#80) Left winger Right Alexander Aoraha Al-Zawraa SC (Iraq Stars League) (#9) Defensive midfielder Left Ahmad Allée Duhok SC (Iraq Stars League) (#18) Central midfielder Right André Alsanati Duhok SC (Iraq Stars League) (#19) Right winger Left Blnd Hassan Duhok SC (Iraq Stars League) (#9) Left winger Right Haron Ahmed Zubair Duhok SC (Iraq Stars League) (#10) Attacking midfielder Josef Al-Imam Duhok SC (Iraq Stars League) (#3) Centre-back Left Pashang Abdulla Duhok SC (Iraq Stars League) (#11) Centre-forward Zana Allée Duhok SC (Iraq Stars League) (#25) Left winger Right Kumel Al-Rekabe Erbil SC (Iraq Stars League) (#34) Goalkeeper Lass Hamawand Erbil SC (on loan) (Iraq Stars League) (#8) Central midfielder Hamid Abdulla Al-Talaba SC (Iraq Stars League) (#19) Left winger Ali Hayder Al-Talaba SC (Iraq Stars League) Left winger Right Masies Artien Al-Talaba SC (Iraq Stars League) (#3) Centre-back Right Hiran Ahmed Newroz SC (Iraq Stars League) (#11) Attacking midfielder Right Cardo Siddik Newroz SC (Iraq Stars League) (#5) Centre-back Left Hady Saleh Karim Zakho SC (Iraq Stars League) (#8) Central midfielder Osama Rashid Zakho SC (Iraq Stars League) (#20) Defensive midfielder Right
Worldwide
Australia
PlayerDate of birthClubPositionHeightPreferred footRefs Mario Shabow Blacktown City FC (#10) Attacking midfielder Right Mohamed Al-Taay Western Sydney Wanderers FC (#6) Defensive midfielder Right Ali Auglah Rockdale Ilinden FC (#12) Right-winger Left Charbel Shamoon Perth Glory FC (#10) Right-back Right Aisen Ishak Preston Lions FC Left-back Left Jason Qariaqus 2006 Western United youth Left-back Frans Deli Macarthur youth Defensive midfielder Right Daniel Sawa 2009 Melbourne City FC youth Centre-forward Ahmed Algarawi Mount Druitt Town Rangers Goalkeeper Left
Belgium PlayerDate of birthClubPositionHeightPreferred footRefs Mubeen Hamad 2004 Ahmed Abdulridha Beerschot youth Rayan Oraibi Faraj RSD Anderlecht youth Ali Ahmed Royal Antwerp youth Wissam Ahmed 2010 Oud-Heverlee Leuven youth
Canada PlayerDate of birthClubPositionHeightPreferred footRefs Hazim Hussein Qadheeb 2007 Toronto FC youth Right-back
Cyprus PlayerDate of birthClubPositionHeightPreferred footRefs Youssef Amyn AEK Larnaca FC Left-winger Right
Czech Republic PlayerDate of birthClubPositionHeightPreferred footRefs Merchas Doski FC Viktoria Plzeň (#14) Left-back Left Ibrahim Aldin SK Líšeň (#14) Central midfielder Right Jakub Yunis Unattached Centre-forward Right
Denmark
PlayerDate of birthClubPositionHeightPreferred footRefs Kevin Yakob AGF (Danish Superliga) (#17) Attacking midfielder Right Amin Al-Hamawi Randers FC (Danish Superliga) (#9) Centre-forward Right Ahmed Hassan Hillerød Fodbold (Danish 1st Division) (#16) Centre-forward Right Matin Al-Atlassi Hillerød Fodbold (Danish 1st Division) (#13) Left-winger Simon Sharif Hillerød Fodbold (Danish 1st Division) (#18) Right-back Right Basem Alkhoudari HB Køge (Danish 1st Division) (#17) Right-winger Left Anders Noshe Aalborg BK U19 (#30) Right-winger Right Ali Al-Najar Brøndby IF U17 (#8) Defensive midfielder Left Zandar Grantzau AGF youth Central midfielder Miran Karim Nordsjælland youth Centre-back Mohammad Hassan Ishøj IF (Danish 3rd Division) Goalkeeper Matin Saleh Unattached Right-back Both Egypt PlayerDate of birthClubPositionHeightPreferred FootRefs Peter Gwargis Ceramica Cleopatra FC (Egyptian Premier League) (#11) Right winger England
PlayerDate of birthClubPositionHeightPreferred footRefs Ali Al-Hamadi Ipswich Town F.C. (Premier League) (#16) Centre-forward Right Ameer Ali Bournemouth U21 (Premier League) Centre-back Botan Ameen Swindon Town U18 Centre-forward Right Moe Shubbar Weymouth F.C. (National League South) (#) Centre-forward Left Valentino Alanezi Brentwood Town F.C. (Isthmian League North) Left-back Left Joseph Khoshaba Crystal Palace U18 (U18 Premier League) Goalkeeper Zachariah Hadi Bradford City U18 Goalkeeper Zaid Al-Hussaini Unattached Right-winger Left Jaami Qureshi Unattached Left-winger Right Hadi Haidar Unattached Defensive midfielder Right Finland PlayerDate of birthClubPositionHeightPreferred FootRefs Arjan Goljahanpoor JJK Jyväskylä (#9) Left winger Mustafa Abdulmuttaleb HJK Helsinki youth Left-back Arez Ghoshnaw FC Honka youth (#75) Central midfielder Ibrahim Mohammed Abdullah FC Honka youth Defender Mahmoud Aeisar Mohammed 2008 Grankulla IFK youth Forward Qassur Ali 2007 Käpylän Pallo Centre-forwardMalec Mahdi2008 Espoon Palloseura Central Midfielder
Germany PlayerDate of birthClubPositionHeightPreferred FootRefs Noah Darvich VfB Stuttgart (Bundesliga) (#19) Attacking midfielder Left Ameen Al-Dakhil VfB Stuttgart (Bundesliga) (#2) Centre-back Right Jussef Nasrawe Bayern Munich U17 Attacking Midfielder Left Reber Babir SC Verl youth Right-winger Right Rangin Madir Rasho FC Ingolstadt 04 youth Central midfielder Arian Amyn SV Eintracht Hohkeppel Right-winger Right Yaran Majeed 2006 VFB 03 Hilden youth Defensive midfielder Sanest Sindi Bayern Munich youth Rehan Murad Bayern Munich youth Marwan Mirza Borussia Dortmund youth Abbas Haydari Borussia Mönchengladbach youth Oliver Mikhail Borussia Mönchengladbach youth Centre-forward Ali Gündogdu Optik Rathenow (#10) Attacking midfielder Right Karsan Doski 2003 VfV 06 Hildesheim (#6) Central midfielder Both Dlges Abused 2003 SV Werder Bremen III Left-back Sadir Sarim 2006 VfL Oldenburg youth Centre-back Ilyas Al-Saadi 2007 Lopik youth Defensive midfielder Diar Blasini 2008 SV Sandhausen youth Centre-forward Marlon D'Elia 1.FC Heidenheim U17 Centre-back Asil Haidar Ismail Unattached Left-winger Right Ewert Baram Unattached Defensive midfielder Right
Iceland PlayerDate of birthClubPositionHeightPreferred footRefs Sami Kamel Knattspyrnudeild Keflavík (#23) Attacking midfielder Right Ali Al-Mosawe ? loan (#) Right-winger Left
Indonesia PlayerDate of birthClubPositionHeightPreferred footRefs Frans Putros Persib Bandung Centre-back Right
Mexico PlayerDate of birthClubPositionHeightPreferred FootRefs Yohan Zetuna Tlaxcala (#22) Centre-back Right Yousuf Zetuna Unattached Centre-forward Right
Netherlands PlayerDate of birthClubPositionHeightPreferred FootRefs Zidane Iqbal FC Utrecht (#14) Central midfielder Right Roman Doulashi Roda U21 Centre-back Left Arian Sevok NSC Nijkerk (#25) Goalkeeper Right Manuel Iylia Unattached Central midfielder Right
Norway PlayerDate of birthClubPositionHeightPreferred FootRefs Mohanad Jeahze Sarpsborg 08 FF (#3) Left-back Left Aimar Sher Sarpsborg 08 FF (#6) Central midfielder Right Marko Farji Strømsgodset IF (#21) Left-winger Right Hayder Altai Unattached Centre-back Right
Poland PlayerDate of birthClubPositionHeightPreferred footRefs Amir Al-Ammari KS Cracovia (#6) Central midfielder Left Hussein Ali Pogoń Szczecin (#15) Right-back Right
Portugal PlayerDate of birthClubPositionHeightPreferred FootRefs Rayan Demirci Porto U17 Central midfielder
Scotland PlayerDate of birthClubPositionHeightPreferred footRefs Dario Naamo Dundee United F.C. loan (#22) Right-back Right
Slovenia PlayerDate of birthClubPositionHeightPreferred footRefs Adam Rasheed NK Maribor Centre-back Right
South Korea PlayerDate of birthClubPositionHeightPreferred footRefs Amar Muhsin () (#) Centre-forward Left
Spain PlayerDate of birthClubPositionHeightPreferred FootRefs Ali Mohammad Hatem Las Rozas B Left-winger Right Kaleem Shabout RSD Alcalá Centre-back Right Maill Lundgren Real Murcia Midfielder Right
Sweden PlayerDate of birthClubPositionHeightPreferred footRefs Montader Madjed Hammarby IF (Allsvenskan) (#26) Right-winger Left Danilo Al-Saed BK Häcken (Allsvenskan) (#18) Left-winger Right Amar Muhsin IK Brage (Superettan) (#33) Centre-forward Left Alai Ghasem Örebro SK (Superettan) (#2) Right-back Right Ahmed Yasin Örebro SK (Superettan) (#99) Right-winger Right Allan Mohideen Utsiktens BK (Superettan) (#2) Right-back Right Lucas Shlimon Assyriska FF (Ettan) Norra (#6) Central midfielder Right Martin Haddad Assyriska FF (Ettan) Norra (#22) Centre-back Right Marwan Baze IF Sylvia Central midfielder Right Al-Hussain Shaker Östers IF youth Central midfielder Right Ahmed Saeed Djurgårdens IF youth Right-winger Hani Nesajer Österlen FF Goalkeeper Jiloan Hamad Unattached Central midfielder Right Sumar Almadjed Unattached Central midfielder Right Mustafa Saleh Unattached Centre-back Right Nadeem Omar Unattached Goalkeeper Right
Thailand PlayerDate of birthClubPositionHeightPreferred footRefs Rebin Sulaka Port F.C. Centre-back Right
Turkey PlayerDate of birthClubPositionRefs Ali Ali Esenler Erokspor youth Goalkeeper
United States
PlayerDate of birthClubPositionHeightPreferred footRefs Justin Meram Michigan Stars FC (NISA) (#19) Left-winger Right Ahmed Qasem Nashville SC (MLS) (#37) Right-winger Left Jayddin Nassir 2009 Slammers FC
Retired players These are expatriate Iraqi players formerly selected and now retired.
PlayerDate of birthPositionHeightPreferred footRefs Anmar Almubaraki 1 0 Attacking midfielder Right Brwa Nouri 9 1 Defensive midfielder Right David Haidar 0 0 Centre-back Right Hawbir Mustafa 1 0 Right-back Left Kais Al-Ani 0 0 Goalkeeper Left Murad Gerdi 1 0 Defensive midfielder Right Rebin Asaad 0 0 Defensive midfielder Right Shwan Jalal 0 0 Goalkeeper Left Yaser Kasim 21 3 Central midfielder Right
References