Iraq national under-23 football team

The Iraq national under-23 football team (also known as Iraq Olympic football team) represents Iraq in international under-23 football, Summer Olympics and at the Asian Games, The team is controlled by the governing body for football in Iraq, the Iraq Football Association (IFA).

Iraq U-23

Nickname(s)	Usood al-Rafidayn (Lions of Mesopotamia)
Association	IFA
Confederation	AFC (Asia)
Sub-confederation	WAFF (West Asia)
Head coach	vacant
FIFA code	IRQ
First colours Second colours
First international
Qatar  0–0  Iraq (Doha, Qatar; 22 September 1995)
Biggest win
Iraq  13–0  Macau (Kuwait City, Kuwait; 6 September 2023)
Biggest defeat
Jordan  5–0  Iraq (Amman, Jordan; 10 July 1999)
Summer Olympics
Appearances	6 (first in 1980)
Best result	Fourth place (2004)
Asian Games
Appearances	2 (first in 2006)
Best result	Silver medalists (2006)
AFC U-23 Asian Cup
Appearances	6 (first in 2013)
Best result	Champions (2013)
Website	Website

Iraq reached fourth place in the 2004 Olympic Games and were champions in the 2013 AFC U-22 Championship and 2023 WAFF U-23 Championship. Other achievements include silver medalist in the 2006 Asian Games and bronze medalist in the 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup and the 2014 Asian Games.

History

Summer Olympics

2004 Athens Olympics

After 16 years without participation, Iraq qualified for the 2004 Summer Olympics after winning the 2004 Olympic Asian Qualifiers under head coach Adnan Hamad and were scheduled to play against Costa Rica, Morocco and Portugal in the group stages. At the Olympics Iraq started with a shocking 4–2 win against Portugal.^[1] That was followed by a 2–0 win against Costa Rica and a 2–1 loss to Morocco.^[2] The quarter-finals saw them beat Australia 1–0, and in the semi-final against Paraguay, Iraq lost 3–1. In the bronze medal match, Iraq lost 1–0 to Italy and finished fourth.^[3]

2016 Rio Olympics

Iraq line-up before a match with Brazil at the 2016 Rio Olympics

Iraq qualified for the 2016 Olympics by clinching third place at the 2016 AFC U-23 Championship. The first game saw Iraq play against Denmark, and the score turned out as a 0–0 draw, despite Iraq having 18 shots in the match.^[4] The second game was played against the hosts and pre-tournament favourites, Brazil, which also ended up as a 0–0 draw, which was hailed as a great result for Iraq.^[5] In the third game, Iraq tied South Africa 1–1, despite having a huge 29 shots in the match.^[6] This result, coupled with Denmark's defeat to Brazil, saw Iraq get eliminated at the group stage. Brazil eventually went on to win the tournament.

AFC U-23 Asian Cup

2013 AFC U-22 Championship

Iraq's first major honour on U-23 level was the 2013 AFC U-22 Championship. The tournament started with a 3–1 win against Saudi Arabia. That was followed by a 2–1 win against Uzbekistan and a 1–0 win against China. The quarter-finals saw them beat Japan 1–0, and the semi-final against favourites Korea Republic with another 1–0 win.

The final was against local rivals Saudi Arabia, and Mohannad Abdul-Raheem scored the only goal to win the tournament for Iraq. This victory secured Iraq's first Asian Cup U-23 title.^[7] Amjad Kalaf was named the most valuable player of the tournament.^[8]

2016 AFC U-23 Championship

The 2016 AFC U-23 Championship final tournament is to be held in Qatar from 12–30 January 2016. Iraq qualified for the tournament by topping the group in the qualification stage in Oman in March 2015.

Iraq advanced from the group stage, beating Yemen 2–0, Uzbekistan 3–2, and a 1–1 tie with South Korea. In the quarterfinals, Iraq beat UAE 3–1 in extra time to progress to the semifinals. Iraq lost 2–1 to Japan.

In the third place match, Iraq came back from behind to beat Qatar 2–1 to qualify for 2016 Olympics.^[9]

2018 AFC U-23 Championship

Iraq qualified for the 3rd tournament by topping the group in the qualification stage in Saudi Arabia in July 2017.

In the final tournament, with the defending champion Japan not bringing their strongest squad and South Korea fielded a relatively inexperienced squad, Iraq had many chances to repeat 2013 success. In the group stage, they finished at the top of the group after beating Malaysia 4–1 and Jordan 1–0, with a 0–0 draw against Saudi Arabia. Iraq advanced into the quarter-final as the first seed of group C and was scheduled to face off against Vietnam, which was widely regarded to be Iraq's easiest ever opponent in this stage, boosting the enthusiasm among Iraqis. However, thing didn't go as planned, which an unexpected 3–3 draw after extra time meant that the result would be settled via a penalty shoot-out, in which Vietnam emerged victorious with the score of 5–3, thus eliminating Iraq from the tournament in the shock of its supporters.^[10]

2020 AFC U-23 Championship

Iraq qualified for the tournament by topping the group in the qualification stage in Iran in March 2019.

In the final tournament held in Thailand, Iraq was grouped in group A together with host Thailand, a resurgence Australia and the unknown Bahrain. For the first time, Iraq did not make it out of the group stage, drawing all three games.^[11]

2022 AFC U-23 Asian Cup

Iraq were drawn with Jordan, Australia and Kuwait.

Iraq pulled back the equaliser through Wakaa Ramadan to draw with Jordan 1-1 in the opening matchday, before drawing again to a 10-man Australia side through a Hasan Abdulkareem volley cancelling out a scorpion kick goal scored by Alou Kuol. Needing a win to qualify for the quarter-finals, Iraq came back from a goal down to beat Kuwait 3-1 thanks to goals scored by Muntadher Mohammed, Moammel Abdulridha and Mohammed Al-Baqer.

Iraq qualified out of Group B as runner-up, only behind Australia, so they were drawn against the winner of Group A, hosts Uzbekistan. The game went to extra time and later, penalties. Merchas Doski and Ahmed Naeem converted their penalties while Uzbekistan's second penalty was saved by Hassan Ahmed. However, Wakaa Rammdan hit the post, Moammel Abdulridha had his tame penalty saved and Hasan Abdulkareem blazed his penalty over the bar, while Uzbekistan converted their last three penalties to win 3-2 on penalties and advance to the semi-finals.^[12]

2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup

Iraq were drawn into a group alongside Thailand, Tajikistan, and Saudi Arabia.

In the first match, Thailand emerged victorious with a stunning 2-0 win over Iraq. Iraq defeated Tajikistan and Saudi Arabia, securing their place as group winners. Iraq faced Vietnam in the quarterfinals, and in a fiercely contested match, booking their ticket to the semifinals. However, Iraq succumbed to a 2-0 defeat against Japan in the semifinals.

In the playoff for third place, Iraq faced Indonesia in a showdown for bronze. Iraq emerged victorious, securing a 2-1 win and clinched third place in the tournament. This also earned them a spot in the 2024 Olympics.^[13] On the individual front, Ali Jasim finished as the top scorer of the tournament with four goals and two assists.^[14]

Recent results and fixtures

Main article: Iraq national under-23 football team results

• The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

Legend

  Win   Draw   Lose

2023

Morocco  v  Iraq

12 October 2023 Friendly	Morocco	0–1	Iraq	Casablanca, Morocco
			Al-Hamawi 42'	Stadium: Père Jégo Stadium

Iraq  v  Dominican Republic

14 October 2023 Friendly	Iraq	3–1	Dominican Republic	Casablanca, Morocco
	Hussein Abdullah 6' Alexander Aoraha 15' Siyaband Ageed 86'			Stadium: Père Jégo Stadium

United States  v  Iraq

18 November 2023 Friendly	United States	1–1	Iraq	San Pedro del Pinatar, Spain
11:00 ET	Blnd Hassan			Stadium: Pinatar Arena

Ivory Coast  v  Iraq

21 November 2023 Friendly	Ivory Coast	4–0	Iraq	San Pedro del Pinatar, Spain
				Stadium: Pinatar Arena

2024

Egypt  v  Iraq

20 January 2024 Friendly	Egypt	0–1	Iraq	Dubai, UAE
			Halo Fayaq 90+6'

United Arab Emirates  v  Iraq

23 January 2024 Friendly	United Arab Emirates	0–4	Iraq	Dubai, UAE
			Abdullah Muntadher Mohammed Omar Abdul-Mujbas Hassan Khalid

Togo  v  Iraq

27 January 2024 Friendly	Togo	2–3	Iraq	Dubai, UAE
			Josef Al-Imam 39' Karrar Alaa 68' Abdullah 90+4'

Japan  v  Iraq

11 April 2024 Friendly	Japan	1–0	Iraq	Doha, Qatar
				Stadium: Qatar University Stadium

Iraq  v  Thailand

16 April 2024 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup	Iraq	0–2	Thailand	Al Wakrah, Qatar
18:30		Report	Waris 26' Teerasak 65'	Stadium: Al Janoub Stadium Attendance: 854 Referee: Ahmed Eisa Darwish (United Arab Emirates)

Tajikistan  v  Iraq

19 April 2024 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup	Tajikistan	2–4	Iraq	Al Wakrah, Qatar
21:00	Soirov 45+9' (pen.) Madaminov 90+5'	Report	Mohammed 14' Jassim 22' (pen.) Khalid 56' Saad 87'	Stadium: Al Janoub Stadium Attendance: 4,273 Referee: Shaun Evans (Australia)

Saudi Arabia  v  Iraq

22 April 2024 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup	Saudi Arabia	1–2	Iraq	Al Rayyan, Qatar
18:30	A. Al-Ghamdi 45+10' (pen.)	Report	Jassim 45+1' (pen.) Saadoon 63'	Stadium: Khalifa International Stadium Referee: Hiroyuki Kimura (Japan)

Iraq  v  Vietnam

26 April 2024 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup	Iraq	1–0	Vietnam	Al Wakrah, Qatar
18:30	Jassim 64' (pen.)	Report		Stadium: Al Janoub Stadium Referee: Ko Hyung-jin (South Korea)

Japan  v  Iraq

29 April 2024 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup	Japan	2–0	Iraq	Al Rayyan, Qatar
20:30	Hosoya 28' Araki 42'	Report		Stadium: Jassim bin Hamad Stadium Attendance: 6,405 Referee: Shaun Evans (Australia)

Iraq  v  Indonesia

2 May 2024 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup	Iraq	2–1	Indonesia	Doha, Qatar
18:30	Tahseen 27' Jassim 96'	Report	Jenner 19'	Stadium: Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium Attendance: 8,090 Referee: Majed Al-Shamrani (Saudi Arabia)

Iraq  v  Egypt

17 July 2024 Friendly	Iraq	1–2	Egypt	Anglet, France
	Tahseen 53'		Adel 30', 65'

Iraq  v  Ukraine

24 July 2024 2024 Summer Olympics	Iraq	2–1	Ukraine	Décines-Charpieu, France
19:00	Hussein 57' (pen.) Jassim 75'	Report	Rubchynskyi 53'	Stadium: Stade de Lyon Attendance: 10,637[15] Referee: Mahmood Ali Ismail (Sudan)

Argentina  v  Iraq

27 July 2024 2024 Summer Olympics	Argentina	3–1	Iraq	Décines-Charpieu, France
15:00	Almada 14' Gondou 62' Fernández 85'	Report	Hussein 45+5'	Stadium: Stade de Lyon Referee: Espen Eskås (Norway)

Morocco  v  Iraq

30 July 2024 2024 Summer Olympics	Morocco	3–0	Iraq	Nice, France
17:00	Richardson 19' Rahimi 28' Ezzalzouli 36'	Report		Stadium: Stade de Nice Referee: Ramon Abatti (Brazil)

Coaching staff

Position	Name
Head coach	Radhi Shenaishil
Assistant coach	Nazar Ashraf
Goalkeeping coach	Saleh Hameed
Fitness coach	Ismail Salim
Team analyst	Abdul-Amir Naji
Team manager	Abdul-Jabbar Hashim
Media coordinator	Maher Hassan

Players

Current squad

The following 22 players were named in the final squad for the 2024 Olympics.
Caps and goals correct as of 30 July 2024 after game against Morocco
Match details of the following matches are not known, thus excluded: Oman (2023), UAE, Japan, Egypt (2024).

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Hussein Hassan	(2002-11-15) 15 November 2002 (age 21)	10	0	Al-Karkh
12	1GK	Kumel Al-Rekabe	(2004-08-19) 19 August 2004 (age 20)	10	0	Leganés B
22	1GK	Hassan Abbas	(2001-01-06) 6 January 2001 (age 23)	3	0	Diyala
2	2DF	Josef Al-Imam	(2004-07-27) 27 July 2004 (age 20)	19	0	Olympic
3	2DF	Hussein Ali	(2002-03-01) 1 March 2002 (age 22)	3	0	Heerenveen
4	2DF	Saad Natiq*	(1994-03-19) 19 March 1994 (age 30)	9	0	Al-Talaba
5	2DF	Ahmed Maknzi	(2001-09-24) 24 September 2001 (age 23)	20	1	Al-Najaf
6	2DF	Zaid Tahseen	(2001-01-29) 29 January 2001 (age 23)	25	2	Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
13	2DF	Karrar Saad	(2001-03-22) 22 March 2001 (age 23)	23	1	Al-Talaba
17	2DF	Mustafa Saadoon	(2001-05-25) 25 May 2001 (age 23)	20	2	Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
20	2DF	Hussein Amer	(2002-04-28) 28 April 2002 (age 22)	15	0	Al-Minaa
7	3MF	Ali Jasim	(2004-01-20) 20 January 2004 (age 20)	16	10	Como
8	3MF	Ibrahim Bayesh*	(2000-05-01) 1 May 2000 (age 24)	7	0	Al-Riyadh
10	3MF	Youssef Amyn	(2003-08-21) 21 August 2003 (age 21)	3	0	Al-Wehda
11	3MF	Muntadher Mohammed	(2001-06-05) 5 June 2001 (age 23)	29	3	Esteghlal
14	3MF	Karrar Mohammed	(2001-01-06) 6 January 2001 (age 23)	25	0	Al-Talaba
15	3MF	Nihad Mohammed	(2001-01-14) 14 January 2001 (age 23)	20	0	Al-Talaba
16	3MF	Montader Abdel Amir	(2001-10-06) 6 October 2001 (age 23)	25	1	Al-Zawraa
19	3MF	Blnd Hassan	(2003-08-12) 12 August 2003 (age 21)	13	4	De Graafschap
9	4FW	Hussein Abdullah	(2001-01-01) 1 January 2001 (age 23)	17	12	Al-Talaba
18	4FW	Aymen Hussein*	(1996-03-22) 22 March 1996 (age 28)	17	13	Al-Khor
21	4FW	Ridha Fadhil	(2001-04-01) 1 April 2001 (age 23)	16	6	Amanat Baghdad

* Overage player.

Recent call-ups

The following players have been called up within 12 months

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
GK	Mohammed Hasan	(2002-07-30) 30 July 2002 (age 22)	2	0	Al-Talaba	Training camp, January 2024
GK	Jaafar Shenaishil	(2003-04-26) 26 April 2003 (age 21)	0	0	Al-Minaa	Training camp, January 2024
GK	Ahmed Shaker	(1998-09-19) 19 September 1998 (age 26)	0	0	Naft Al-Basra	Training camp, November 2023
GK	Ridha Abdulaziz		2	0	Al-Najaf	Training camp, October 2023
DF	Roman Doulashi	(2005-08-07) 7 August 2005 (age 19)	1	0	Roda U21	2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup
DF	Halo Fayaq	(2001-05-23) 23 May 2001 (age 23)	3	1	Erbil	2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup
DF	Hassan Khalid	(2003-05-21) 21 May 2003 (age 21)	2	1	Al-Karkh	2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup
DF	Adam Rasheed	(2006-07-10) 10 July 2006 (age 18)	1	0	Maribor	Training camp, January 2024
DF	Mujtaba Saleh		2	0	Al-Karkh	Training camp, January 2024
DF	Abdulrahman Zaid		0	0	Duhok	Training camp, January 2024
DF	Mustafa Walid	(2002-04-28) 28 April 2002 (age 22)	8	1	Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya	Training camp, November 2023
DF	Kadhim Raad Hatem	(2003-03-05) 5 March 2003 (age 21)	8	0	Al-Zawraa	Training camp, November 2023
DF	Mustafa Saleh	(2004-04-27) 27 April 2004 (age 20)	2	0	Örebro Syrianska
MF	Ali Almosawe	(2002-01-28) 28 January 2002 (age 22)	13	2	Hillerød	2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup
MF	Zaid Ismael	(2002-03-01) 1 March 2002 (age 22)	13	0	Al-Talaba	2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup
MF	Mohammed Haitham		0	0	Al-Kahrabaa	2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup INJ
MF	Ako Hzair	(2002-01-01) 1 January 2002 (age 22)	1	0	Duhok	Training camp, January 2024
MF	Baqer Attwan	(2002-01-20) 20 January 2002 (age 22)	2	0	Al-Hudood	Training camp, January 2024
MF	Amir Hassan		0	0	Al-Najaf	Training camp, January 2024
MF	Nour Al-Mustafa Ghanim		0	0	Karbala	Training camp, January 2024
MF	Alexander Aoraha	(2003-01-17) 17 January 2003 (age 21)	12	5	Queens Park Rangers U21	Training camp, November 2023
MF	Marko Farji	(2004-03-16) 16 March 2004 (age 20)	7	0	Strømsgodset	Training camp, November 2023
MF	Amir Faisal	(2005-05-01) 1 May 2005 (age 19)	5	1	Al-Kahrabaa	Training camp, October 2023
FW	Amin Al-Hamawi	(2003-12-17) 17 December 2003 (age 20)	9	1	Sandviken	2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup
FW	Salem Ahmed	(2002-03-24) 24 March 2002 (age 22)	3	0	Al-Minaa	2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup
FW	Omar Abdul-Mujbas		0	0	Al-Jolan	2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup INJ
FW	Zidane Abduljabbar	(2000-06-03) 3 June 2000 (age 24)	11	0	Al-Shorta	Training camp, January 2024
FW	Siyaband Ageed	(2001-06-03) 3 June 2001 (age 23)	3	1	Duhok	Training camp, January 2024
FW	Sajjad Alaa	(2003-05-03) 3 May 2003 (age 21)	0	0	Al-Minaa	Training camp, January 2024
FW	Karrar Alaa	(2001-01-27) 27 January 2001 (age 23)	1	1	Al-Kahrabaa	Training camp, January 2024
FW	Dhulfiqar Younis	(2001-05-27) 27 May 2001 (age 23)	8	3	Duhok	Training camp, November 2023
PRE Part of the preliminary squad INJ Player injured CLB Player refused by club or unable to attend due to club commitments IRQ Player moved up to the first team OVR Player overaged and ineligible to represent this age group WD Player withdrew for non-injury related reasons

Previous squads

Bold indicates winning squads

Olympic Games 2004 Summer Olympics Squad 2016 Summer Olympics Squad 2024 Summer Olympics Squad

AFC U-23 Asian Cup 2013 AFC U-22 Championship Squad 2016 AFC U-23 Championship Squad 2018 AFC U-23 Championship Squad 2020 AFC U-23 Championship Squad 2022 AFC U-23 Asian Cup Squad 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup Squad

Asian Games 2006 Asian Games Squad 2014 Asian Games Squad

WAFF U-23 Championship 2021 WAFF U-23 Championship Squad 2023 WAFF U-23 Championship Squad 2024 WAFF U-23 Championship Squad

Overage players

Football at the Summer Olympics, the Asian Games and the Islamic Solidarity Games have required that under-23 players enter the competitions, but they have allowed three overage players to be included in one squad. These three players are called the "wild cards".

Summer Olympics

Tournament	Player 1	Player 2	Player 3
2004	Haidar Abdul-Jabar (DF)	Abdul-Wahab Abu Al-Hail (MF)	Razzaq Farhan (FW)
2016	Ahmed Ibrahim (DF)	Saad Abdul-Amir (MF)	Hammadi Ahmed (FW)
2024	Saad Natiq (DF)	Ibrahim Bayesh (MF)	Aymen Hussein (FW)

Asian Games

Tournament	Player 1	Player 2	Player 3
2014	Salam Shaker (DF)	Mahdi Karim (MF)	Younis Mahmoud (FW)

Islamic Solidarity Games

Tournament	Player 1	Player 2	Player 3
2013	Hussein Abdul-Wahid (MF)	Luay Salah (FW)	Marwan Abbas Fadhel (FW)

Manager history

As of 28 July 2024^[16][17]

  Caretaker manager

No.	Manager	Year	P	W	D	L	Win %	Competition(s)
1	William Asprey[18]	1989–1990	6	5	1	0	083.33	Stafford Challenge Cup champion
2	Anwar Jassam	1995–1996	11	5	3	3	045.45
3	Nazar Ashraf	1999	12	6	4	2	050.00
—	Najeh Humoud	2001	3	0	2	1	000.00	—
4	Bernd Stange	2002–2003	5	3	1	1	060.00
5	Adnan Hamad	2003–2004	25	13	4	8	052.00	2004 Summer Olympics fourth place 2003 Abha Championship champion
6	Yahya Alwan	2006–2007	45	26	13	6	057.78	2006 Asian Games silver medal
—	Nadhim Shaker	2011	4	2	1	1	050.00	—
7	Radhi Shenaishil	2011–2012	15	5	2	8	033.33
8	Hakeem Shaker	2012	5	3	2	0	060.00
—	Hadi Mutanash	2013	7	1	5	1	014.29	2013 Islamic Solidarity Games group stage
9	Hakeem Shaker	2014	19	15	2	2	078.95	2013 AFC U-22 Championship champion 2014 Asian Games bronze medal
10	Yahya Alwan	2015	7	6	1	0	085.71
11	Abdul-Ghani Shahad	2015–2020	41	25	12	4	060.98	2016 AFC U-23 Championship third place 2016 Summer Olympics group stage 2018 AFC U-23 Championship quarter-finals 2020 AFC U-23 Championship group stage
12	Miroslav Soukup	2021–2022	15	7	5	3	046.67	2021 WAFF U-23 Championship semi-finals 2022 AFC U-23 Asian Cup quarter-finals
13	Radhi Shenaishil	2023–present	31	18	5	8	058.06	2023 WAFF U-23 Championship champion 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup third place
—	Ehsan Turki	2024	3	0	1	2	000.00	2024 WAFF U-23 Championship sixth place
Total			254	140	64	50	055.12	—

Competitive record

Overview
Event	1st place	2nd place	3rd place	4th place
Summer Olympics	0	0	0	1
AFC U-23 Asian Cup	1	0	2	0
Total	1	0	2	1

Summer Olympics

Main article: Iraq at the Olympics

Summer Olympics record											Qualification record
Year	Result	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1900–1988	See Iraq national football team										See Iraq national football team
1992	Did not enter										Did not enter
1996	Did not qualify										9	4	3	2	14	8
2000											4	1	2	1	7	10
2004	Fourth place	4th	6	3	0	3	9	8	Squad		10	5	1	4	17	12
2008	Did not qualify										12	6	5	1	21	8
2012											8	3	2	3	7	7
2016	Group stage	12th	3	0	3	0	1	1	Squad		10	7	2	1	27	11
2020	Did not qualify										6	2	4	0	11	4
2024	Group stage	10th	3	1	0	2	3	7	Squad		9	6	1	2	30	10
2028	To be determined										To be determined
2032
Total	Fourth place	3/9	12	4	3	5	13	16	—		68	34	20	14	134	70

• Prior to the Barcelona 1992 campaign, the Football at the Summer Olympics was open to full senior national teams.

Summer Olympics history
Year	Round	Score	Result	Goalscorers for Iraq
1900–1988
	See Iraq national football team
2004	Group stage
		Iraq 4–2  Portugal	Win	E. Mohammed 16', H. Mohammed 29' Mahmoud 56', Sadir 90+3'
		Iraq 2–0  Costa Rica	Win	H. Mohammed 67', M. Karim 72'
		Iraq 1–2  Morocco	Loss	Sadir 63'
	Quarter-finals
		Iraq 1–0  Australia	Win	E. Mohammed 64'
	Semi-finals
		Iraq 1–3  Paraguay	Loss	Farhan 83'
	Bronze medal
		Iraq 0–1  Italy	Loss
2016	Group stage
		Iraq 0–0  Denmark	Draw
		Iraq 0–0  Brazil	Draw
		Iraq 1–1  South Africa	Draw	Abdul-Amir 14'
2024	Group stage
		Iraq 2–1  Ukraine	Win	A. Hussein 57', A. Jasim 75'
		Iraq 1–3  Argentina	Loss	A. Hussein 45+5'
Iraq 0–3  Morocco	Loss

AFC U-23 Asian Cup

AFC U-23 Asian Cup record											Qualification record
Year	Result	Position	GP	W	D*	L	GF	GA	Squad		GP	W	D	L	GF	GA
2013	Champions	1st	6	6	0	0	9	2	Squad		5	3	2	0	12	3
2016	Third place	3rd	6	4	1	1	12	7	Squad		4	3	1	0	15	4
2018	Quarter-finals	6th	4	2	2	0	8	4	Squad		3	3	0	0	12	1
2020	Group stage	10th	3	0	3	0	4	4	Squad		3	2	1	0	7	0
2022	Quarter-finals	6th	4	1	3	0	7	5	Squad		2	2	0	0	7	0
2024	Third place	3rd	6	4	0	2	9	8	Squad		3	2	1	0	21	2
2026	To be determined										To be determined
Total	Champions	6/6	29	17	9	3	49	30	—		20	15	5	0	74	10

*Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

AFC U-23 Asian Cup history
Year	Round	Score	Result	Goalscorers for Iraq
2013	Group stage
		Iraq 3–1  Saudi Arabia	Win	Ismail 36', M. Hussein 50', 69'
		Iraq 2–1  Uzbekistan	Win	M. Hussein 10', Nadhim 38'
		Iraq 1–0  China	Win	M. Hussein 14' (pen.)
	Quarterfinals
		Iraq 1–0  Japan	Win	Kalaf 84'
	Semifinals
		Iraq 1–0  South Korea	Win	Nadhim 74'
	Final
		Iraq 1–0  Saudi Arabia	Win	Abdul-Raheem 33'
2016	Group stage
		Iraq 2–0  Yemen	Win	Faez 36' (pen.), Husni 39'
		Iraq 3–2  Uzbekistan	Win	Attwan 38', Kamil 43', Tariq 84'
		Iraq 1–1  South Korea	Draw	Walid 90+2'
	Quarterfinals
		Iraq 3–1 (a.e.t.)  United Arab Emirates	Win	Husni 77', Abdul-Raheem 103', Walid 120+3'
	Semifinals
		Iraq 1–2  Japan	Loss	S. Natiq 43'
	3rd Place
		Iraq 2–1 (a.e.t.)  Qatar	Win	Abdul-Raheem 86', A. Hussein 109'}
2018	Group stage
		Iraq 4–1  Malaysia	Win	Jaffal 5', Attwan 28', Mhawi 56', H. Ali 81'
		Iraq 0–0  Saudi Arabia	Draw
		Iraq 1–0  Jordan	Win	Resan 49'
	Quarterfinals
		Iraq 3–3 (a.e.t.)(pen 3-5)  Vietnam	Draw	A. Hussein 29' (pen.), 94', Mhawi 116'
2020	Group stage
		Iraq 1–1  Australia	Draw	Nassif 77'
		Iraq 2–2  Bahrain	Draw	Al-Ammari 65', Nassif 90+2'
		Iraq 1–1  Thailand	Draw	Nassif 49'
2022	Group stage
		Iraq 1–1  Jordan	Draw	Ramadhan 69'
		Iraq 1–1  Australia	Draw	Abdulkareem 56'
		Iraq 3–1  Kuwait	Win	M. Mohammed 35', Abdulridha 59', Al-Baqer 82'
	Quarterfinals
		Iraq 2–2 (a.e.t.)(pen 2-3)  Uzbekistan	Draw	Ramadhan 19' (pen.), Ghaleb 68'
2024	Group stage
		Iraq 0–2  Thailand	Loss
		Iraq 4–2  Tajikistan	Win	M. Mohammed 14', A. Jasim 22' (pen.), Khalid 56', K. Saad 87'
		Iraq 2–1  Saudi Arabia	Win	A. Jasim 45+1' (pen.), Saadoon 63'
	Quarterfinals
		Iraq 1–0  Vietnam	Win	A. Jasim 64' (pen.)
	Semifinals
		Iraq 0–2  Japan	Loss
	3rd Place
		Iraq 2–1 (a.e.t.)  Indonesia	Win	Tahseen 27', A. Jasim 96'

Asian Games

Main article: Football at the Asian Games

Asian Games record
Year	Result	Position	GP	W	D*	L	GF	GA	Squad
1951–1998	See Iraq national football team
2002	Banned due to Gulf War
2006	Runners-up	2nd	9	6	1	2	17	3	Squad
2010	Did not enter
2014	Third place	3rd	7	6	0	1	18	4	Squad
2018	Withdrew
2022	Did not enter
Total	Runners-up	2/5	16	12	1	3	35	7	—

*Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

Asian Games history
Year	Round	Score	Result	Goalscorers for Iraq
1951–1998
	See Iraq national football team
2006	Round 1
		Iraq 6–0  Indonesia	Win	K. Jassim 18', Abid Ali 24', Karim 36' (pen.), 63', Mansour 82', Rehema 89'
		Iraq 2–0  Singapore	Win	Karim 5', Mahmoud 7'
		Iraq 0–0  Syria	Draw
	Round 2
		Iraq 0–1  China	Loss
		Iraq 2–0  Oman	Win	Rehema 30', Abdul-Zahra 45+2'
		Iraq 4–0  Malaysia	Win	Rehema 14', Mahmoud 54', 55', Karim 65'
	Quarterfinals
		Iraq 2–1 (a.e.t.)  Uzbekistan	Win	K. Jassim 10', Mansour 95'
	Semifinals
		Iraq 1–0  South Korea	Win	S. Saeed 24'
	Final
		Iraq 0–1  Qatar	Loss
2014	Group stage
		Iraq 4–0    Nepal	Win	Resan 24', Mahmoud 45+1', Chand 85' (o.g.), Bahjat 90+2'
		Iraq 3–1  Japan	Win	Tariq 12', Adnan 48', 72'
		Iraq 3–0  Kuwait	Win	Tariq 16', 62', M. Hussein 71'
	Round of 16
		Iraq 4–2  Tajikistan	Win	Tariq 7', Shaker 47', Adnan 62', Nadhim 84'
	Quarterfinals
		Iraq 3–0  Saudi Arabia	Win	Mahmoud 10', 29', Al-Shamekh 49' (o.g.)
	Semifinals
		Iraq 0–1 (a.e.t.)  North Korea	Loss
	3rd Place
		Iraq 1–0  Thailand	Win	Mahmoud 62'

WAFF U-23 Championship

WAFF U-23 Championship record
Year	Result	Position	GP	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad
2015	did not enter
2021	Semifinals	3rd	4	2	1	1	5	3	Squad
2022	did not enter
2023	Champions	1st	4	2	2	0	7	3	Squad
2024	Sixth place	6th	3	0	1	2	3	6	Squad
Total	Best: Champions	3/5	11	4	4	3	15	12	—

WAFF U-23 Championship history
Year	Round	Score	Result	Goalscorers for Iraq
2021	Group stage
		Iraq 1–0  Palestine	Win	Abdulkareem 81'
		Iraq 2–0  United Arab Emirates	Win	Zamel 41', Abdulameer 90+2'
		Iraq 2–2  Lebanon	Draw	Iqbal 15', Sartip 55'
	Semifinals
		Iraq 0–1  Saudi Arabia	Loss
2023	Group stage
		Iraq 2–2  Jordan	Draw	B. Hassan 19', Abdullah 29'
		Iraq 3–0  United Arab Emirates	Win	B. Hassan 26', Abdullah 73', Almosawe 87'
	Semifinals
		Iraq 1–0  Oman	Win	Al-Rawahi 52' (o.g.)
	Final
		Iraq 1–1 (a.e.t.)(pen 5-4)  Iran	Draw	Abdullah 45+3'
2024	Group stage
		Iraq 1–2  Australia	Loss	H. Jaafar 49'
	Classification semifinals
		Iraq 1–1 (a.e.t.)(pen 4-3)  United Arab Emirates	Draw	Sadiq 53'
	Fifth place play-off
		Iraq 1–3  Jordan	Loss	Bani Hani 52' (o.g.)

Islamic Solidarity Games

Islamic Solidarity Games record
Year	Result	Position	GP	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad
2005	did not enter
2010	cancelled
2013	Group stage	7th	3	0	2	1	4	5	Squad
2017 to 2021	did not enter
Total	Group stage	1/4	3	0	1	2	4	5	—

Islamic Solidarity Games history
Year	Round	Score	Result	Goalscorers for Iraq
2013	Group stage
		Iraq 2–3  Turkey	Loss	Kalaf 13', L. Salah 68'
		Iraq 0–0  Syria	Draw
		Iraq 2–2  Saudi Arabia	Draw	Walid 48', Kalaf 54'

Exhibition Tournaments

Exhibition Tournaments
Tournament	Result	GP	W	D	L	GF	GA
1990 Stafford Cup	Champions	5	4	1	0	18	1
2003 Abha Championship	Champions	6	4	2	0	14	7
2012 Matchworld Cup	Sixth place	3	1	0	2	3	4
2022 Dubai Cup	Seventh place	3	1	1	1	3	3
2023 Doha Cup	Fifth place	3	2	0	1	4	1

Exhibition Tournaments history
Year	Round	Score	Result	Goalscorers for Iraq
1990 Stafford Cup[16]	Group stage
		Iraq 1–1 HASC	Draw	Kadhim
		Iraq 5–0 Titanium FC	Win	H. Ali 46', H. Hadi 52', Makki 75', K. Muhsin 58', 80'
		Iraq 2–0 Indian Telephone Industries SC	Win
	Semifinals
		Iraq 8–0 MGM SC	Win
	Final
		Iraq 2–0 Mahindra United FC	Win	Kadhim , Jeayer
2003 Abha Championship[19]	Group stage
		Iraq 1–0  Saudi Arabia	Win	Mnajed 32'
		Iraq 5–1 Al Nassr	Win	Mnajed 33', Mahmoud 35', 47', 58' (pen.), Sadir 60'
		Iraq 1–1 Fajr Sepasi Shiraz	Draw	Q. Munir 67'
		Iraq 2–2  Senegal	Draw	Mahmoud 12', N. Akram 78' (pen.)
	Semifinals
		Iraq 0–0 (a.e.t.) (4–3 p)  Syria	Draw
	Final
		Iraq 1–0  Morocco	Win	Mahmoud 81'
2012 Matchworld Cup[20]	Group stage
		Iraq 1–0 Neuchâtel Xamax	Win	W. Salim 87' (pen.)
		Iraq 1–2 Zenit St. Petersburg	Loss	Abdul-Raheem 59'
	Fifth place play-off
		Iraq 1–2 Rostov	Loss	Abdul-Raheem 24'
2022 Dubai Cup[21]	Round 1
		Iraq 0–0  Vietnam	Draw
	Round 2
		Iraq 1–2  Saudi Arabia	Loss	Ghalib 44'
	Round 3
		Iraq 2–1  Thailand	Win	Aoraha 16', Ramadhan 90+5'
2023 Doha Cup[22]	Round 1
		Iraq 3–0  Vietnam	Win	Almosawe 45+1' (pen.), Maknzi 60', D. Younis 85'
	Round 2
		Iraq 0–1  South Korea	Loss
	Round 3
		Iraq 1–0  Oman	Win	H. Abdullah 77'

Honours

Intercontinental

• Summer Olympics

Fourth place: 2004

Continental

• AFC U-23 Asian Cup

Winners: 2013

Third place: 2016, 2024

• Asian Games

Runners-up: 2006

Third place: 2014

Regional

• WAFF U-23 Championship

Winners: 2023

Exhibition Tournaments

• Stafford Challenge Cup

Winners: 1990

• International Friendship Tournament (Abha)

Winners: 2003

Head-to-head record

As of 24 July 2024 after match against  Ukraine.

The following table shows Iraq under-23 team's all-time international record.^[16]

Key

  Positive balance (more wins than losses)

  Neutral balance (as many wins as losses)

  Negative balance (more losses than wins)

Iraq under-23 team head-to-head records
Against	First	Last	GP	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	% Win	Confederation
Afghanistan	2017	2017	1	1	0	0	8	0	+8	100%	AFC
Algeria	2016	2016	2	1	0	1	3	4	−1	50%	CAF
Australia	2004	2022	7	1	5	1	3	4	−1	50%	AFC
Bahrain	2002	2021	7	4	2	1	13	6	+7	71.43%	AFC
Brazil	2016	2016	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	50%	CONMEBOL
China	1996	2015	5	3	0	2	4	7	−3	60%	AFC
Costa Rica	2004	2004	1	1	0	0	2	0	+2	100%	CONCACAF
Denmark	2016	2016	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	50%	UEFA
Dominican Republic	2023	2023	1	1	0	0	3	1	+2	100%	CONCACAF
East Timor	2023	2023	1	1	0	0	6	0	+6	100%	AFC
Egypt	2024	2024	2	1	0	1	2	2	0	50%	CAF
India	2007	2012	3	2	1	0	6	2	+4	83.33%	AFC
Indonesia	2006	2024	2	2	0	0	8	1	+7	100%	AFC
Iran	2011	2023	8	4	2	2	11	5	+6	56.25%	AFC
Italy	2004	2004	1	0	0	1	0	1	−1	0%	UEFA
Ivory Coast	2023	2023	1	0	0	1	0	4	−4	0%	CAF
Japan	1996	2024	6	2	1	3	6	7	−1	41.67%	AFC
Jordan	1995	2023	11	7	3	1	19	12	+7	77.27%	AFC
Kuwait	2004	2023	5	3	1	1	10	6	+4	70%	AFC
Lebanon	2007	2021	5	4	1	0	21	6	+15	90%	AFC
Macau	2023	2023	1	1	0	0	13	0	+13	100%	AFC
Malaysia	1999	2018	3	2	1	0	9	2	+7	83.33%	AFC
Maldives	2015	2021	2	2	0	0	11	1	+10	100%	AFC
Morocco	2003	2023	3	2	0	1	3	2	+1	66.67%	CAF
Nepal	2014	2014	1	1	0	0	4	0	+4	100%	AFC
North Korea	2003	2016	8	4	2	2	12	7	+5	62.5%	AFC
Oman	1996	2023	9	5	2	2	13	7	+6	66.67%	AFC
Palestine	2021	2021	1	1	0	0	1	0	+1	100%	AFC
Paraguay	2004	2004	1	0	0	1	1	3	−2	0%	CONMEBOL
Portugal	2004	2004	1	1	0	0	4	2	+2	100%	UEFA
Qatar	1995	2019	6	3	1	2	7	6	+1	58.33%	AFC
Saudi Arabia	1996	2024	17	9	4	4	26	14	+12	64.71%	AFC
Senegal	2003	2003	1	0	1	0	2	2	0	50%	CAF
Singapore	2006	2006	1	1	0	0	2	0	+2	100%	AFC
South Africa	2016	2016	1	0	1	0	1	1	0	50%	CAF
South Korea	1996	2023	7	2	2	3	7	8	–1	28.57%	AFC
Sudan	2023	2023	2	1	1	0	5	3	+2	75%	CAF
Syria	2003	2017	7	3	4	0	11	3	+8	71.43%	AFC
Tajikistan	2014	2024	2	2	0	0	8	4	+4	100%	AFC
Thailand	2007	2024	7	3	3	1	7	6	+1	64.29%	AFC
Togo	2024	2024	1	1	0	0	3	2	+1	100%	CAF
Turkey	2013	2013	1	0	0	1	2	3	–1	0%	UEFA
Turkmenistan	2012	2019	2	2	0	0	6	0	+6	100%	AFC
United Arab Emirates	1996	2024	9	5	2	2	16	7	+9	66.67%	AFC
Ukraine	2024	2024	1	1	0	0	2	1	+1	100%	UEFA
United States	2023	2023	1	0	1	0	1	1	0	50%	CONCACAF
Uzbekistan	2006	2022	6	4	1	1	11	9	+2	75%	AFC
Vietnam	1999	2024	8	4	4	0	14	5	+9	75%	AFC
Yemen	2016	2023	3	3	0	0	10	0	+10	100%	AFC
49 Countries	1995	2024	184	101	48	35	337	167	+170	54.89%	FIFA
Last match updated was against   Ukraine on 24 July 2024.

See also

• Iraq national football team
• Iraq national under-20 football team
• Iraq national under-17 football team

References

1. "Iraq Surprises Portugal in 4-2 Olympic Victory". latimes.com. Grahame L. Jones. 13 August 2004. Archived from the original on 9 May 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
2. "Iraq cruise into the last eight". theguardian.com. Alastair Himmer. 16 August 2004. Archived from the original on 9 May 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
3. "Italy claim Olympic medal". uefa.com. UEFA. 27 August 2004. Archived from the original on 9 May 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
4. "Iraq, Denmark share spoils". fifa.com. FIFA. 4 August 2016. Archived from the original on 9 May 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
5. "Hosts frustrated by impenetrable Iraq". fifa.com. FIFA. 8 August 2016. Archived from the original on 9 May 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
6. "Draw ends Olympic dream for Iraq and South Africa". fifa.com. FIFA. 11 August 2016. Archived from the original on 9 May 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
7. "Iraq crowned AFC U-22 champions". the-afc.com. The Asian Football Confederation. 26 January 2014. Archived from the original on 9 May 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
8. "AFC U23 Asian Cup: Most Valuable Players". the-afc.com. The Asian Football Confederation. 6 April 2024. Archived from the original on 9 May 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
9. "Iraq clinch Asia's final Rio spot". fifa.com. FIFA. 29 January 2016. Archived from the original on 9 May 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
10. "Vietnam hold nerve in penalty shootout to reach last four". the-afc.com. The Asian Football Confederation. 20 January 2018. Archived from the original on 9 May 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
11. "العراق يغادر السباق على أولمبياد طوكيو". kooora.com (in Arabic). 14 January 2020. Archived from the original on 9 May 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
12. "Uzbekistan edge Iraq on penalties to seal last four berth". the-afc.com. The Asian Football Confederation. 11 June 2022. Archived from the original on 9 May 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
13. "AFC U23 Asian Cup: Iraq claims bronze medal to obtain final Olympic quota of the tournament". olympics.com. Sam Peene. 2 May 2024. Archived from the original on 9 May 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
14. "Iraq's Jasim takes Yili Top Scorer award". the-afc.com. The Asian Football Confederation. 3 May 2024. Archived from the original on 9 May 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
15. "Match report – Iraq v Ukraine" (PDF). Olympics.com. International Olympic Committee. 24 July 2024. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
16. "مباريات المنتخب الاولمبي (تحت 23 سنة)". niiiis.com. ارشيف الكرة العراقية. Archived from the original on 8 May 2024. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
17. "Iraq U23 - Team profile". globalsportsarchive.com. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
18. Matthews, Tony (18 December 2008). The Legends of Stoke City. Derby, United Kingdom: Breedon Books. pp. 14–5. ISBN 978-1-85983-653-8.
19. "International Friendship Tournament (Abha, Saudi Arabia)". rsssf.org. Hassanin Mubarak. Archived from the original on 6 May 2024. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
20. "Dubai Match World Cup 2012". rsssf.org. Javier García & Andrea Veronese. Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
21. "الاولمبي العراقي يفوز على تايلند ببطولة دبي الدولية". shafaq.com (in Arabic). 29 March 2022. Archived from the original on 8 May 2024. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
22. "أولمبي العراق يهزم عمان في بطولة الدوحة الدولية". kooora.com (in Arabic). 29 March 2023. Archived from the original on 8 May 2024. Retrieved 8 May 2024.

External links

• Official website Archived 2020-11-28 at the Wayback Machine
• Official Iraq national football team on FIFA.com