Iraq national football team
The traditional colours of the Iraq national football team are green, white and black. Green and white are often interchangeable as Iraq's home and away colours, while black is used as the third colour.
The national team frequently wore white kits during the 1960s and early 1970s, including at the 1966 Arab Cup and during early FIFA World Cup qualifying campaigns. Green became increasingly prominent from the mid-1970s onward, notably during the 4th Arabian Gulf Cup and the 1976 AFC Asian Cup. Over time, it developed into the team’s primary football colour and was often combined with white details inspired by the national flag. The shade of green has varied across different periods, ranging from brighter tones in earlier decades to darker modern interpretations introduced by manufacturers such as Adidas and Umbro.[91]
Iraq have also previously worn red, yellow and blue kits. One of the most notable departures from the traditional colour scheme occurred during the 1986 FIFA World Cup, when Iraq wore yellow against Paraguay and blue against Belgium and Mexico despite having mainly used green and white during qualification.[92] Former Iraqi players later stated that members of the team delegation had attempted to retain the traditional colours, but the request was rejected by then-Iraq Football Association president Uday Hussein, who reportedly insisted on using yellow and blue kits.[93] Following the tournament, Iraq gradually returned to green-and-white combinations.
Since the 2000s, green and white have again formed the basis of Iraq’s visual identity, while black has increasingly been used for alternative kits, particularly in designs incorporating references to Mesopotamian civilisation, Babylonian ornamentation and traditional Iraqi motifs. One of the most notable examples was Umbro’s black third kit introduced in November 2021 for the 2021 FIFA Arab Cup, which featured geometric patterns inspired by Mesopotamian art, including Babylonian palm motifs symbolising victory, ornamental Assyrian flowers and decorative elements referencing the walls of the Ishtar Gate. The shirt also incorporated the word "Iraq" in Kufic script on the back and later received international attention among football shirt collectors, including a nomination by Classic Football Shirts among the best football shirts of the year.[94]
Iraq’s kits have been manufactured by several international and regional sportswear brands, including Umbro, Adidas, Puma, Jako, Peak, Givova, Lotto, Diadora and Jack & Jones. The current kit supplier is Jako.[95]
The Iraqi team is commonly known as Usood al-Rafidayn (Arabic: أُسُودُ الرَّافِدَيْن), meaning "Lions of Mesopotamia". In ancient Mesopotamia, the Babylonian lion was a symbol of power, impetuosity, ferocity, prestige and dominance.[100] This is reflected in the sculpted lions in Babylon, where the processional path is ornamented with ceramic tile bas-reliefs representing a prestigious lion from the time of Nebuchadnezzar II. This kind of representation aimed to glorify the king, master of the beasts, and also represent the defeat of the enemy.[101] Moreover, the Mesopotamian royal inscriptions depict the king as a ferocious lion to whom nothing can be resisted.[102][103][104] The presence of lions in ancient Iraqi civilization was based on the belief, or desire, that the animals represented would bring with them the virtues they symbolized, so that they could be transmitted to the owners.[105]
Iraq kits throughout history have usually featured the flag of Iraq on them, although the coat of arms of Iraq and the Iraq Football Association logo have both appeared on kits in the past. The national team has occasionally had its own unique logo, the first of which was from 1982 to 1983. This logo was based on the Iraq flag, with Iraqi written at the top of the crest.[106] From 2000 to 2002, the national team's logo featured a green outline with the word Iraq written at the top in green Arabic text. In the 2005 West Asian Games, the team wore a new logo with the red band of the flag appearing in a large semi-circle shape,[107] and in 2007, Iraq briefly reverted to using the logo that they had used from 2000 to 2002. On 23 October 2020, the national team's current logo was revealed, with a star featuring above the crest from 2021 to 2022 to commemorate the nation's 2007 AFC Asian Cup victory.[108]
Due to its geographical location, Iraq maintains strong rivalries with many neighbours.
Iraq's main and traditional rival has been Iran, and they are often considered to be two of the greatest football teams in the Middle East and Asia with one of the greatest rivalries. At the early stage, Iran had proved to be more dominant than Iraq, remaining undefeated from 1964 until 1993. In the contemporary era, especially during the reign of Saddam Hussein, the two countries had bad relations and fought the Iran–Iraq War for eight years.[109][110] Iraqis have considered any matches against Iran as a must-win encounter and are known to treat it differently from any other football matches.[111] Iraq has played 31 matches against Iran with 6 victories, 7 draws, and 18 losses.
Iraq's other rival is Saudi Arabia, and matches between the two teams also draw significant attention from Iraqi fans, with Iraq and Saudi Arabia being recognised as the two most successful Arab teams in Asia. The beginnings of the footballing rivalry between them dates back to the 1970s, but it was only after the 1990s that the rivalry between the two Arab nations truly developed since it was previously overshadowed by Iraq's rivalries with Iran and Kuwait.[112] One of these reasons for the rivalry to develop is due to the bitter Gulf War, where Iraq fought against Saudi Arabia over Kuwait, an ally of Saudi Arabia.[113] These encounters have also been marred with various controversies and hostilities, such as the 21st Arabian Gulf Cup hosting rights, where Iraq was stripped from hosting with the tournament instead being moved to Bahrain, a move which was believed by Iraqis as a deliberate act by Saudi Arabia to remove Iraq's home advantage.[113] Before that, Iraq was also banned from hosting home games against Saudi Arabia due to the Gulf War.[113] Iraq has played 44 matches against Saudi Arabia with 18 victories, 12 draws, and 14 losses.
Iraq's rivalry with Kuwait was once considered the greatest football rivalry in the Middle East, until being taken over by Iraq's rivalry with Saudi Arabia due to Kuwait's decline. The rivalry began in the mid-1970s. Because of the Gulf War, Iraq and Kuwait were in complete avoidance and never met for more than 15 years until 2005. Iraq has played 43 matches against Kuwait with 18 victories, 13 draws, and 12 losses.
The Iraq national football team has frequently been viewed as a symbol of national unity within Iraqi society. During periods of war, sanctions and political instability, matches involving the national team often carried social and cultural significance beyond sport itself. Iraq’s victory at the 2007 AFC Asian Cup is widely regarded as one of the most significant moments in the country’s sporting history. Celebrations following the victory took place across several Iraqi cities and among Iraqi communities abroad, with the triumph frequently described as a unifying national moment.
Iraqi supporter culture is characterised by patriotic chants and strong displays of national symbolism. Among the most widely used chants are "O Victorious Baghdad" ("منصورة يا بغداد") or "With our souls and our blood, we will redeem you, O Iraq" ("بالروح بالدم نفديك يا عراق") during the Iraqi team's matches.[114]
Another famous chant is "the first goal is coming" ("هسه يجي الاول") which is chanted in the beginning of the match.[115] A succeeding chant is "the second goal is coming" ("هسه يجي الثاني"); this is usually chanted repeatedly after Iraq score a goal to motivate the players to score another.
Iraq primarily plays its home matches at Basra International Stadium but has also used various other venues across the country. Since 1980, FIFA has imposed bans on Iraq hosting competitive international matches on six occasions.
The first ban came in 1980 after fan and player violence during a match against Kuwait. Although lifted in 1982, the Iran–Iraq War led to a renewed ban. During this period, Iraq played home games at neutral venues but still qualified for the 1986 FIFA World Cup and three Olympic Games tournaments. The ban ended in 1988 after the war.[116]
A new ban followed the Gulf War in 1990 which lasted until 1995. Iraq hosted matches during the 1998 and 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifiers but was again forced to play abroad following the Iraq War in 2003. Home matches resumed in 2009, but security concerns led to another ban in 2011.[117]
Between 2013 and 2018, Iraq hosted friendlies in Baghdad, Basra, and Karbala, culminating in FIFA lifting the ban in 2018. Basra hosted the 2018 AFC Cup Final,[118] while the 2019 WAFF Championship was held in Karbala and Erbil.[119] However, the Iraqi protests in 2019 led to another ban,[120] forcing Iraq to play its home games at neutral venues during the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.[121][122]
In 2023, Iraq successfully hosted the Arabian Gulf Cup for the first time since 1979,[123] and resumed hosting official matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.[124]
Last updated: Iraq vs. UAE, 18 November 2025
Statistics include only official international matches.[125]
