The 2024–25 Iraq Stars League was the 51st season of the highest tier football league in Iraq since its establishment in 1974, and the second season since launching as a professional league under the name Iraq Stars League. The season started on 20 September 2024 and ended on 4 July 2025, with the relegation play-off held on 14 July 2025.
Al-Shorta became the first team in history to win the league title four times in a row, finishing ten points ahead of runners-up Al-Zawraa. Al-Shorta sealed the title with two games to spare after defeating Naft Al-Basra 3–1.
Overview 20 teams competed in the 2024–25 Iraq Stars League: 18 teams from the previous season, as well as Diyala and Al-Karma who were promoted from the 2023–24 Iraqi Premier Division League, replacing Amanat Baghdad and Naft Al-Wasat who were relegated. Diyala returned to the top-flight after a 13-year absence, while Al-Karma played in the top-flight for the first time in history this season.
Teams
Stadiums and locations Team Location Stadium Capacity Al-Hudood Baghdad Al-Saher Ahmed Radhi Stadium5,150 Al-Kahrabaa Baghdad Al-Zawraa Stadium15,443 Al-Karkh Baghdad Al-Saher Ahmed Radhi Stadium5,150 Al-Karma Anbar Al-Ramadi Stadium10,000 Al-Minaa Basra Al-Minaa Olympic Stadium30,000 Al-Naft Baghdad Al-Saher Ahmed Radhi Stadium5,150 Al-Najaf Najaf Al-Najaf International Stadium30,000 Al-Qasim Babil Al-Najaf International Stadium30,000 Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Baghdad Al-Shaab Stadium35,700 Al-Shorta Baghdad Al-Shaab Stadium35,700 Al-Talaba Baghdad Al-Madina Stadium32,000 Al-Zawraa Baghdad Al-Zawraa Stadium15,443 Diyala Diyala Al-Madina Stadium32,000 Duhok Duhok Duhok Stadium22,800 Erbil Erbil Franso Hariri Stadium25,000 Karbala Karbala Karbala International Stadium30,000 Naft Al-Basra Basra Al-Fayhaa Stadium10,000 Naft Maysan Maysan Maysan Olympic Stadium25,000 Newroz Sulaymaniya Newroz Stadium14,500 Zakho Duhok Zakho International Stadium20,000
Personnel and kits Team Manager Captain Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor Al-Hudood Hamza Hadi Saqr Ajail Jako none Al-Kahrabaa Radhi Shenaishil Hussam Kadhim Jako none Al-Karkh Ahmad Abdul-Jabar Jafar Obeis Kelme none Al-Karma Ahmed Khalaf Mohammed Hameed Kelme Al-Rahma Telecom Al-Minaa Hussam Al Sayed Alaa Abdul-Zahra Adidas none Al-Naft Adel Nima Ali Yaseen Al-Naft (own brand) none Al-Najaf Wali Kareem Mohammed Jassim Adidas none Al-Qasim Ayman Hakeem Hussein Abdul-Wahed Kaka Sport none Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Ali Abdul-Jabbar Saad Abdul-Amir Kelme none Al-Shorta Moamen Soliman Mohanad Ali Qitharah (own brand) none Al-Talaba Basim Qasim Saad Natiq Kelme Al-Manasa IPTV Al-Zawraa Haider Obeid Jalal Hassan Adidas none Diyala Yamen Zelfani Kosrat Baez Kelme Alrabiaa Network Television Duhok Soliman Ramadan Bayar Abubakir Kelme First Iraqi Bank Erbil Samir Babo Sherko Karim Puma Korek Telecom Karbala Abbas Attiya Ali Salih Kaka Sport none Naft Al-Basra Emad Aoda Hussam Malik Naft Al-Basra (own brand) none Naft Maysan Hussein Abdul-Wahed Akram Rahim Naft Maysan (own brand) none Newroz Qahtan Chathir Mohammed Delawar Puma none Zakho Abdul-Ghani Shahad Amjad Attwan Hummel none
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in the tableIncoming managerDate of appointmentAl-Hudood Adel NimaMutual consentEnd of previous seasonPre-season Haidar Abdul-AmirStart of current seasonAl-Kahrabaa Luay Salah Wali KarimAl-Karma Natiq Haddad Ghazi FahadAl-Minaa Hassan Ahmed Pablo GrandesAl-Naft Basim Qasim Adel NimaAl-Quwa Al-Jawiya Razzaq Farhan Wesam RizikAl-Shorta Moamen Soliman Ahmed SalahAl-Talaba Qahtan Chathir Basim QasimDuhok Ahmed Khalaf Mesut MeralKarbala Chasib Sultan Carlos HernandezNaft Al-Basra Haitham Al-Shboul Andrej PanadićNewroz Nizar Mahrous Jorvan VieiraKarbala Carlos HernandezMutual consentPrior to the start of the season Hassan AhmedDiyala Sadeq HanoonSacked3 November 202419th Yamen Zelfani12 November 2024Al-Hudood Haidar Abdul-Amir4 November 202420th Thair Jassam5 November 2024Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Wesam Rizik5 December 20247th Luay Salah6 December 2024Al-Shorta Ahmed Salah8 December 20248th Mohamed Azima7 January 2025Newroz Jorvan Vieira12 December 202418th Qahtan Chathir13 December 2024Al-Karkh Haitham Shaaban15 January 202518th Ahmad Abdul-Jabar15 January 2025Naft Al-Basra Andrej PanadićMutual consent27 January 202518th Emad Aoda30 March 2025Al-Karma Ghazi FahadResigned30 January 202514th Ahmed Khalef30 January 2025Al-Kahrabaa Wali Karim30 January 202513th Radhi Shenaishil31 January 2025Al-Minaa Pablo GrandesSacked8 February 202515th Hussam Al Sayed21 February 2025Al-Zawraa Essam Hamad26 February 20252nd Haider Obeid26 February 2025Al-Shorta Mohamed AzimaMutual consent10 March 20253rd Moamen Soliman17 March 2025Naft Maysan Ali Abdul-JabbarResigned31 March 20258th Hussein Abdul-Wahed12 April 2025Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Luay SalahMutual consent2 April 20254th Ali Abdul-Jabbar6 April 2025Karbala Hassan AhmedSacked4 April 202519th Abbas Attiya6 April 2025Al-Hudood Thair JassamResigned5 April 202520th Hamza Hadi5 April 2025Al-Najaf Abdul-Ghani Shahad21 April 202512th Wali Kareem23 April 2025Zakho Talal Al-Bloushi26 April 20253rd Abdul-Ghani Shahad28 April 2025Duhok Mesut Meral19 May 20257th Amir Azrafshan24 May 2025Duhok Amir Azrafshan29 June 20258th Soliman Ramadan29 June 2025
Registration rules The rules for the squad selection of the Iraq Stars League: Each team must submit a 25-man squad for the league. Each team must have no more than six foreign players in their squad. This restriction does not apply to players from Yemen, and does not apply to a maximum of one player from Syria. Each team must have no more than six foreign players on the pitch at any given time. No more than two players from countries that are outside the top 90 in the FIFA Men's World Rankings can play at any given time. The two permitted players from countries outside the top 90 must be capped for their respective national teams. Teams are not permitted to sign a foreign goalkeeper. Players registered for reserve or youth teams are not required to be registered in the 25-man squad.
Transfer windows
The summer transfer window in Iraq started on 2 August and ended on 2 October 2024, while the winter transfer window started on 5 January and ended on 5 February 2025.
League table
Results
Relegation play-off The 18th-placed team in the Stars League competed in a play-off with the winner of the play-out round between the 3rd and 4th-placed teams from the Premier Division League for a place in next season's Stars League. If the match ended in a draw after 90 minutes, there would be no extra time played and the game would go straight to a penalty shootout.
Amanat Baghdad are promoted to the Iraq Stars League, while Naft Al-Basra are relegated to the Iraqi Premier Division League.
Season statistics Top scorers Rank Player TeamGoals1 Mohanad AliAl-Shorta272 Gustavo HenriqueZakho17 Marwan HusseinNewroz4 Saif RasheedAl-Qasim15 Ifeanyi EzeAl-Karkh
Hat-tricks
Player For Against Result Date Reference Mohanad Ali Al-Shorta Diyala 6–0 (A) Mohanad Ali Al-Shorta Erbil 4–1 (H) Marwan Hussein Newroz Al-Minaa 5–1 (A) Gustavo Henrique Zakho Al-Qasim 6–2 (H) Mohanad Ali Al-Shorta Naft Maysan 4–0 (A) Youssouf Oumarou Al-Karma Al-Qasim 3–1 (A) Mohammed Jawad Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Karbala 4–1 (A)
Notes (H) – Home team(A) – Away team
Awards Manager of the Month MonthManagerTeamReferenceOctober Adel NimaAl-NaftNovember Ghazi FahadAl-KarmaFebruary Talal Al-BloushiZakhoMarch Talal Al-BloushiZakhoApril Ayman HakeemAl-QasimMay Ahmed KhalafAl-KarmaJune Ahmed KhalafAl-Karma
References
External links Official website Iraq Football Association