The Most Famous Iraq Football Team

The history of the Iraq national team, like that of the country itself, is a chequered one. It began when they played their first international match in 1957 against Morocco in the Pan-Arab Cup; within 25 years they won the gold medal at the Asian Games.

But then came a dark period when the country was banned from most competitions in the wake of the Gulf War.

Once those shackles were thrown off, the team began to thrive once more, culminating in their win in the AFC Asian Championships in 2007. Since then, this football-mad country has become a regular challenger for the major prizes in Asian football, and has produced its fair share of talented players.

Here are some of the most famous players to don an Iraqi football jersey.

Raad Hammoudi

Hammoudi is regarded as the finest goalkeeper Iraq has ever produced, and captained the national side to the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics in 1984, and the World Cup in Mexico in 1986, the only time Iraq have made the finals.

He started his club career with Kuliya Al-Shorta, which later became Al-Shorta, where he skippered them to the league title in the 1979/1980- season, and took the occasional penalty for them as well.

He retired having won 104 caps for his country and is now head of the Iraqi Olympic Committee.

Younis Mahmoud

Striker Mahmoud captained Iraq for ten years and led them to their greatest ever triumph, the 2007 Asian Cup victory, when he scored the winning goal in the final against Saudi Arabia. He also won the Golden Boot and was named most valuable player in the tournament. That same year he was nominated for the Ballon D’Or – the only Iraqi ever to so honoured. He finished 29^th.

He had an itinerant club career taking in spells in the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, as well as Iraq, with his most successful period coming with the Qatari side Al-Gharafa, where he won three league titles in consecutive seasons as well as a host of domestic cups.

He retired in 2016, having scored 57 goals in 148 international appearances, and is now president of the Iraqi Former Players’ Union.

Nashat Akram

Another member of the successful AFC winning team from 2007, Akram was named man of the match in the final, and was named in the team of the tournament. The attacking midfielder who was dubbed “The Maestro” was linked with a move to Manchester City at some stage, but that foundered due to work permit issues. He did though have a spell in European football with Dutch side Twente, where he won the Eredivisie.

He also won league titles in his native Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Iraq. He retired from international football in 2013 with 113 caps and 17 goals to his name.

Mohanad Ali

The young forward is regarded as one of the brightest talents that Iraq football has produced in years, and is currently on loan with Portuguese Primeira Liga side Portimonense, having previously been linked with the likes of Juventus, Benfica and Galatasary.

Despite still being a teenager, he has played already 28 times for his country and scored 14 goals. He is known for his close control and dribbling, as well as ability in the air.

Ali Adnan

Currently playing for the Vancouver Whitecaps in the MLS, Adnan is a rare example of an Iraqi footballer who has enjoyed a successful European career, starring first for the Turkish side Çaykur Rizespor, and then the Serie A club Udinese, for whom he made 70 appearances in four seasons.

The 26 year old has played 73 times for Iraq to date and has five international goals to his name. He was named Young Asian Footballer of the Year in 2013.