Iraq Division One

The Iraq Division One is the second-highest division of the Iraqi football league system after the Premier League. The league is contested by 24 clubs. It is operated by the Iraq Football Association (IFA). Each season, the two top-finishing teams in the Division One are automatically promoted to the Premier League. The four lowest-finishing teams in the Division One are relegated to Division Two.

Iraq Division One
Founded1974
CountryIraq
Number of teams24
Level on pyramid2
Promotion toIraqi Premier League
Relegation toIraq Division Two
Domestic cup(s)Iraq FA Cup
International cup(s)AFC Cup
(via Iraq FA Cup)
Current championsAl-Hudood
(2021–22)
TV partnersAl-Iraqiya Sports
WebsiteOfficial website
Current: 2022–23 Iraq Division One

The number of clubs in the league have changed throughout history, most recently in the 2021–22 season when the number of clubs decreased from 28 to 24.

It has previously been called the Division Two but has been known as the Division One since 2003. In the 2021–22 season, Al-Hudood won the title and were promoted alongside runners-up Karbalaa.

List of champions
No. Season Champion
11974–75Al-Zawraa
21975–76Al-Ittihad
31976–77 ?
41977–78Al-Shabab
51978–79Al-Bahri
61979–80Al-Adhamiya
71980–81Al-Ittihad
81981–82Al-Mosul
91982–83Wahid Huzairan[lower-alpha 1]
101983–84Al-Rasheed
111984–85 ?
121985–86Al-Bahri
131986–87Al-Minaa
141987–88 ?
151988–89Samarra
161989–90Al-Minaa
171990–91Al-Amana[lower-alpha 2]
No. Season Champion
181991–92Saad
191992–93 ?
201993–94 ?
211994–95 ?
221995–96 ?
231996–97 ?
241997–98Duhok
251998–99Erbil
261999–2000 ?
272000–01Kirkuk
282001–02Al-Mosul
292002–03Multiple groups
302003–04Abandoned
312004–05Multiple groups
322005–06Multiple groups
332006–07Multiple groups
342007–08Multiple groups
No. Season Champion
352008–09Multiple groups
362009–10Peshmerga[lower-alpha 3]
372010–11Al-Shirqat
382011–12Sulaymaniya
392012–13Al-Karkh
402013–14Multiple groups
412014–15Al-Samawa
422015–16Al-Hussein
432016–17Al-Diwaniya
442017–18Al-Karkh
452018–19Al-Qasim
462019–20Abandoned
472020–21Al-Sinaa
482021–22Al-Hudood
492022–23TBD
  1. Now known as Kirkuk.
  2. Now known as Amanat Baghdad.
  3. Now known as Peshmerga Sulaymaniya.

League structure

In November 2020, The Iraq FA announced that the number of teams will decrease from 28 to 24 in total starting from 2021 to 2022 season. To make these changes possible, the Iraq FA announced that in 2020–21 season, The top teams in each group are directly promoted to the Premier League, while 8 teams in total are directly relegated to Division Two.[1]

Current members

2021–22 season
Locations of the 2021–22 Iraq Division One teams
Team Manager Location Stadium Capacity
Afak Iraq Haider Hussein Al-Qādisiyyah, Diwaniya Al-Kifl Stadium 10,000
Al-Alam Iraq Ali Jawad Saladin Al-Alam Stadium 10,000
Al-Bahri Iraq Asaad Abdul Razzaq Basra, Al-Jubaila Al-Bahri Stadium 7,000
Al-Difaa Al-Madani Iraq Mahdi Kadhim Baghdad Al-Taji Stadium 5,000
Al-Hussein Iraq Kadhim Yousef Baghdad, Sadr City Five Thousand Stadium 5,000
Al-Jinsiya Iraq Karim Qumbil Baghdad Al-Jinsiya Stadium 5,000
Al-Kufa Iraq Adel Ali Al-Aasam Najaf, Kufa Najaf Stadium 30,000
Al-Muroor Iraq Adel Ajer Baghdad, Sadr City Al-Walaa Stadium 5,000
Al-Nasiriya Iraq Ali Wahaib Dhi Qar, Nasiriya An Nasiriya Stadium 10,000
Al-Ramadi Iraq Khamis Hammoud Anbar, Ramadi Al Ramadi Stadium 15,000
Al-Shirqat Iraq Mohammed Attiya Saladin, Shirqat Shirqat Stadium 5,000
Al-Sulaikh Iraq Rashid Sultan Baghdad, Suleikh Al Sulaikh Stadium 5,000
Babylon Iraq Fouad Jawad Babylon Al Kifl Stadium 10,000
Diyala Iraq Ali Abdullah Diyala, Baquba Ba'quba Stadium 10,000
Duhok Iraq Adel Nasser Duhok Duhok Stadium 20,000
Ghaz Al-Shamal Iraq Walid Mohammed Qader Kirkuk Kirkuk Olympic Stadium 20,000
Karbalaa Iraq Ali Wahab Karbala Karbala Sports City 30,000
Masafi Al-Janoob Iraq Nasser Talla Dahilan Basra, Shaibah Masafi Al-Janoob Stadium 5,000
Maysan Iraq Ahmed Zuhair Maysan Maysan Stadium 25,000
Peshmerga Iraq Arsalan Jalal Sulaymaniyah Peshmerga Stadium 10,000
Suq Al-Shuyukh Iraq Moayad Tomeh Dhi Qar, Suq Al-Shuyukh Souk Al-Shuyukh Stadium 5,000
Al-Hudood Iraq Abbas Attiya Baghdad Al-Taji Stadium 5,000
Al-Sinaat Al-Kahrabaiya Iraq Adel Nima Baghdad Al-Sinaa Stadium 5,000
Al-Samawa Iraq Aqeel Ghani Al-Samawa Al-Samawah Stadium 15,000

See also

References
  1. "اعتماد تصنيف وآلية وموعد انطلاق دوري الدرجة الأولى". الاتحاد العراقي لكرة القدم (in Arabic). Retrieved 2021-08-10.
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