Iran–Iraq football rivalry

The Iran and Iraq national football teams are sporting rivals since 1962.^[1][2][3]

Iran–Iraq rivalry

Other names	Iran vs Iraq
Location	Asia (AFC)
Teams	Iran  Iraq
First meeting	1 June 1962 (63 years ago)
Latest meeting	Iran 1–0 Iraq 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification (27 January 2022)
Statistics
Meetings total	31
Most wins	Iran (18)
Top scorer	Ali Daei (4)
Largest victory	Iran 4–0 Iraq 1964 Olympic qualification (22 March 1964)

According to The Malay Mail, "Emotions are always high when Iran and Iraq meet on the football pitch".^[4]

The most recent match between the two teams was in World Cup qualifier on 27 January 2022 hosted in Iran, where Iran won the game by 1–0.

Origins

The rivalry is not such a football-inspired ill-feeling between the two, but more of geography and history.^[5] Iran and Iraq are neighboring countries, that share a long history. In the contemporary era, especially during the reign of Saddam Hussein, the two countries had bad relations.^[2][3]

In 2001, an Iran-Iraq match was not held at a neutral venue for the first time in decades.^[3]

Major tournament matches

1972 AFC Asian Cup

Iran	3–0	Iraq
Kalani 34', 70', 78'

9 May 1972 (1972-05-09)

Group stage

National Stadium, Bangkok

Attendance: 5,000

Referee: Sivapalan Kathiravale (Malaysia)

---

1976 AFC Asian Cup

Iran	2–0	Iraq
Nouraei 45' Roshan 58'

4 June 1976 (1976-06-04)

Group stage

Azadi Stadium, Tehran

Attendance: 50,000

Referee: Marijan Raus (Yugoslavia)

---

1994 FIFA World Cup qualification

Iraq	2–1	Iran
Radhi 20' Kadhim 38'		Daei 21'

22 October 1993 (1993-10-22)

Final round

Khalifa International Stadium, Doha

Attendance: 30,000

Referee: Crăciunescu (Romania)

---

1996 AFC Asian Cup

Iran	1–2	Iraq
Daei 90' (pen.)	Report	Fawzi 37' Sabbar 69'

5 December 1996 (1996-12-05)

19:00

Group stage

Al-Maktoum Stadium, Dubai

Attendance: 15,000

Referee: Masayoshi Okada (Japan)

---

2000 AFC Asian Cup

Iran	1–0	Iraq
Daei 77'	Report

18 October 2000 (2000-10-18)

19:30

Group stage

Saida Municipal Stadium, Sidon

Attendance: 8,582

Referee: Omer Al-Mehannah (Saudi Arabia)

---

2002 FIFA World Cup qualification

Iraq	1–2	Iran
Mohammed 20'	Report	Karimi 30' Daei 84'

7 September 2001 (2001-09-07)

20:00 UTC+04

Final round

Al-Shaab Stadium, Baghdad

Attendance: 40,000

Referee: Felipe Ramos Rizo (MEX)

---

2002 FIFA World Cup qualification

Iran	2–1	Iraq
Mahdavikia 27' Karimi 71'	Report	Chathir 52'

12 October 2001 (2001-10-12)

16:00 UTC+04:30

Final round

Azadi Stadium, Tehran

Attendance: 100,000

Referee: Kim Young-Joo (KOR)

---

2011 AFC Asian Cup

Iraq	1–2	Iran
Mahmoud 13'		Rezaei 42' Mobali 84'

11 January 2011 (2011-01-11)

19:15

Group stage

Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan

Attendance: 10,478

Referee: Ravshan Irmatov (Uzbekistan)

---

2015 AFC Asian Cup

Iran	3–3 (a.e.t.)	Iraq
Azmoun 24' Pouraliganji 103' Ghoochannejhad 119'	Report	Yasin 56' Mahmoud 93' Ismail 116' (pen.)
Penalties
Hajsafi Pouraliganji Nekounam Hosseini Ghafouri Jahanbakhsh Teymourian Amiri	6–7	Abdul-Amir Salem Ismail Adnan Mahmoud Kasim Hussein Shaker

23 January 2015 (2015-01-23)

17:30 AEDT (UTC+11)

Quarterfinals

Canberra Stadium, Canberra

Attendance: 18,921

Referee: Ben Williams (Australia)

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2019 AFC Asian Cup

Iran	0–0	Iraq
	Report

16 January 2019 (2019-01-16)

20:00

Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai

Attendance: 15,038

Referee: Ravshan Irmatov (Uzbekistan)

---

2022 FIFA World Cup qualification

Iraq	2–1	Iran
M. Ali 11' Abbas 90+2'	Report (FIFA) Report (AFC)	Nourollahi 25'

14 November 2019 (2019-11-14)

16:00 UTC+2

Second Round

Amman International Stadium, Amman (Jordan)

Attendance: 13,752

Referee: Hettikamkanamge Perera (Sri Lanka)

---

2022 FIFA World Cup qualification

Iran	1–0	Iraq
Azmoun 35'

15 June 2021 (2021-06-15)

19:30 UTC+3

Second Round

Al Muharraq Stadium, Arad

Attendance: 0

Referee: Ilgiz Tantashev (Uzbekistan)

---

2022 FIFA World Cup qualification

Iraq	0–3	Iran
		A. Jahanbakhsh 3' M. Taremi 69' A. Gholizadeh 90'

7 September 2021 (2021-09-07)

21:00 UTC+3

Third Round

Khalifa International Stadium, Doha

Attendance: 0

Referee: Ma Ning (China PR)

---

2022 FIFA World Cup qualification

Iran	1–0	Iraq
Taremi 48'

27 January 2022 (2022-01-27)

18:00 UTC+03:30

Third Round

Azadi Stadium, Tehran

Referee: Chris Beath (Australia)

Matches

Source:^[6][7]

#	Date	Competition	Home team	Score	Away team	Goals (home)	Goals (away)	Venue
1	1 June 1962	Friendly	Iran	1–1	Iraq	Kouzehkanani 90'	Abbas 47' (pen.)	Amjadieh Stadium, Tehran
2	3 June 1962	Friendly	Iran	1–2	Iraq	Kouzehkanani	Ismail 47'; Hameed 60'	Amjadieh Stadium, Tehran
3	2 January 1964	1964 Olympic qualification[a]	Iran	4–0	Iraq	Shirzadegan ; Arab ;		Amjadieh Stadium, Tehran
4	22 March 1964		Iraq	0–0	Iran			Al-Kashafa Stadium, Baghdad
5	7 March 1969	1969 Friendship Cup	Iran	2–1	Iraq	Ghelichkhani ; Eftekhari	Dhiab 16'	Amjadieh Stadium, Tehran
6	9 May 1972	1972 Asian Cup	Iran	3–0	Iraq	Kalani 34', 70', 78'		National Stadium, Bangkok
7	13 September 1974	1974 Asian Games	Iran	1–0	Iraq	Roshan 76'		Aryamehr Stadium, Tehran
8	24 August 1975	1976 Olympic qualification[a]	Iran	1–0	Iraq	Khorshidi 66'		Aryamehr Stadium, Tehran
9	4 June 1976	1976 Asian Cup	Iran	2–0	Iraq	Nouraei 45'; Roshan 58'		Aryamehr Stadium, Tehran
10	5 November 1989	1989 Peace and Friendship Cup	Iran	0–0	Iraq			Al-Sadaqua Walsalam Stadium, Kuwait City
11	22 October 1993	1994 World Cup qualification	Iran	1–2	Iraq	Daei 21'	Radhi 20'; Kadhim 37'	Khalifa Stadium, Doha
12	5 December 1996	1996 Asian Cup	Iran	1–2	Iraq	Daei 90' (pen.)	Fawzi 37'; Sabbar 67'	Al-Maktoum Stadium, Dubai
13	18 October 2000	2000 Asian Cup	Iran	1–0	Iraq	Daei 77'		Saida Stadium, Sidon
14	7 September 2001	2002 World Cup qualification	Iraq	1–2	Iran	Emad Reza 20'	Karimi 29'; Daei 83'	Al-Shaab Stadium, Baghdad
15	12 October 2001		Iran	2–1	Iraq	Mahdavikia 27'; Karimi 70'	Chathir 51'	Azadi Stadium, Tehran
16	5 September 2002	2002 WAFF Championship	Iraq	0–0 (a.e.t.)[b]	Iran			Abbasiyyin Stadium, Damascus
17	13 August 2003	2003 LG Cup	Iran	0–1	Iraq		Swadi 52'	Azadi Stadium, Tehran
18	23 June 2004	2004 WAFF Championship	Iran	2–1	Iraq	Nekounam 4'; Borhani 54'	Mnajed 30'	Azadi Stadium, Tehran
19	4 October 2006	2006 LG Cup	Iran	2–0	Iraq	Rezaei 25'; Rajabzadeh 70'		International Stadium, Amman
20	16 June 2007	2007 WAFF Championship[c]	Iran	0–0	Iraq			International Stadium, Amman
21	24 June 2007		Iran	2–1	Iraq	Badamaki 9'; Beikzadeh 21'	Sadir 86' (pen.)	International Stadium, Amman
22	1 October 2010	2010 WAFF Championship	Iran	2–1	Iraq	Hosseini 57'; Gholami 82'	Karim 69'	King Abdullah Stadium, Amman
23	11 January 2011	2011 Asian Cup	Iraq	1–2	Iran	Mahmoud 13'	Rezaei 42'; Mobali 84'	Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium, Doha
24	4 January 2015	Friendly [a]	Iraq	0–1	Iran		Azmoun 57'	Wollongong Showground, New South Wales
25	23 January 2015	2015 Asian Cup	Iran	3–3 (a.e.t.)[b]	Iraq	Azmoun 24'; Pouraliganji 103'; Ghoochannejhad 119'	Yasin 56'; Mahmoud 93'; Ismail 116' (pen.)	Canberra Stadium, Canberra
26	18 March 2017	Friendly[d]	Iran	0–1	Iraq		Abdul-Amir 72' (pen.)	Azadi Stadium, Tehran
27	16 January 2019	2019 Asian Cup	Iran	0–0	Iraq			Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai
28	14 November 2019	2022 World Cup qualification	Iraq	2–1	Iran	M. Ali 11'; Abbas 90+2'	Nourollahi 25'	Amman International Stadium, Amman
29	15 June 2021		Iran	1–0	Iraq	Azmoun 35'		Al Muharraq Stadium, Arad
30	7 September 2021	2022 World Cup qualification	Iraq	0–3	Iran		Jahanbakhsh 3'; Taremi 69'; Gholizadeh 90'	Khalifa International Stadium, Doha
31	27 January 2022		Iran	1–0	Iraq	Taremi 48'		Azadi Stadium, Tehran

1. Not a full FIFA international
2. Iraq won on penalties.
3. Iran competed in the tournament with its B team squad.
4. Played behind closed-doors.

Statistics

Overall

Iran	18 wins
Iraq	6 wins
Draws	7 draws

Top scorers

Rank	Player	Goals
1	Ali Daei	4
2	Hamid Shirzadegan	3
	Hossein Kalani	3
	Sardar Azmoun	3
3	Various players	2

See also

• Iran–Saudi Arabia football rivalry
• Iraq–Saudi Arabia football rivalry

References

1. "Iran and Iraq set for QF showdown". ESPN.com. 2015-01-22. Retrieved 2024-04-20.
2. Montague, James (January 13, 2011). "Pitch Warfare: Iran face Iraq in soccer grudge match". CNN. Retrieved November 21, 2014.
3. "Iran-Iraq classic rivalry". Iran Daily. No. 4924. November 5, 2014. p. 11.
4. Montague, James (January 22, 2015). "Iran vs Iraq: Quarter-final clash reignites decades-old rivalry". The Malay Mail. Retrieved January 22, 2015.
5. Duerden, John. "Asia awaits neighbourly rivalry". ESPN. Retrieved November 22, 2014.
6. Panahi, Majeed (7 August 2014). "Iran – International Matches". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved November 21, 2014.
7. Courtney, Barrie (21 January 2011). "Iraq – List of International Matches". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved November 21, 2014.