The 2025–26 Iraq Stars League was the 52nd season of the highest tier football league in Iraq since its establishment in 1974, and the third season since launching as a professional league under the name Iraq Stars League. The season started on 13 September 2025 and ended on 2 June 2026, with the relegation play-off held from 8–13 June 2026.
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya won the league title for the eighth time, securing the title with a 2–0 win away to Naft Maysan in the penultimate round of the season. Four-time defending champions Al-Shorta finished as runners-up, with Erbil securing third place.
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya equalled the league record of eleven consecutive matches won (first achieved by Al-Shorta in the 1997–98 season) on their way to the title.
Overview 20 teams competed in the 2025–26 Iraq Stars League: 17 teams from the previous season, as well as Al-Mosul, Al-Gharraf and Amanat Baghdad who were promoted from the 2024–25 Iraqi Premier Division League, replacing Naft Al-Basra, Al-Hudood and Karbala who were relegated. Al-Mosul returned to the top flight after a 14-year absence, while Amanat Baghdad returned after a one-year absence. Al-Gharraf played in the top flight for the first time in history this season.
Teams
Clubs and locations Team Manager Location Stadium Capacity Al-Gharraf Qahtan Chathir Dhi Qar Al-Nasiriya International Stadium20,000 Al-Kahrabaa Hassan Ahmed Baghdad Al-Zawraa Stadium15,443 Al-Karkh Ayman Hakeem Baghdad Sharar Haidar Stadium5,150 Al-Karma Moamen Soliman Anbar Al-Jolan Stadium6,000 Al-Minaa Hussein Abdul-Wahed Basra Al-Minaa Olympic Stadium30,000 Al-Mosul Haitham Al-Shboul Mosul Duhok Stadium22,800 Al-Naft Adel Nima Baghdad Sharar Haidar Stadium5,150 Al-Najaf Samer Saeed Najaf Al-Najaf International Stadium30,000 Al-Qasim Hassan Hadi Babil Al-Najaf International Stadium30,000 Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Rashid Jaber Baghdad Al-Shaab Stadium35,700 Al-Shorta Ahmed Salah Baghdad Al-Shorta Stadium10,089 Al-Talaba Alireza Mansourian Baghdad Al-Madina Stadium32,000 Al-Zawraa Luay Salah Baghdad Al-Zawraa Stadium15,443 Amanat Baghdad Wissam Talib Baghdad Al-Madina Stadium32,000 Diyala Yamen Zelfani Diyala Diyala Stadium10,000 Duhok Ahmed Khalaf Duhok Duhok Stadium22,800 Erbil Basim Qasim Erbil Franso Hariri Stadium25,000 Naft Maysan Ali Abdul-Jabbar Maysan Maysan Olympic Stadium25,000 Newroz Wali Kareem Sulaymaniya Newroz Stadium14,500 Zakho Abdul-Ghani Shahad Duhok Zakho International Stadium20,000
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in the tableIncoming managerDate of appointmentAl-Qasim Wamidh MunirResigned16 September 202520th Hassan Hadi23 September 2025Duhok Sérgio FariasMutual consent23 September 202518th Abdul-Ghani Shahad14 October 2025Al-Zawraa Abdul-Ghani ShahadMutual consent6 October 202516th Emad El Nahhas11 October 2025Naft Maysan Abdullah Abu ZemaMutual consent7 October 202515th Hassan Ahmed13 October 2025Al-Karma Ahmed KhalafSacked13 October 20258th Antonio Cazorla13 October 2025Al-Najaf Mohamed AzimaSacked15 October 202519th Ali Abdul-Jabbar15 October 2025Newroz Yasin ArasSacked26 October 202516th Wali Kareem28 October 2025Al-Kahrabaa Radhi ShenaishilResigned26 October 202519th Ahmed Abdul-Jabar28 October 2025Al-Talaba Talal Al-BloushiMutual consent8 November 202511th Alireza Mansourian28 November 2025Amanat Baghdad Essam HamadResigned9 November 202515th Ahmed Khalaf28 November 2025Al-Najaf Ali Abdul-JabbarResigned24 January 202619th Qahtan Chathir25 January 2026Al-Qasim Hassan HadiSacked26 January 202620th Haidar Aboodi1 February 2026Al-Mosul Chasib SultanSacked28 January 202615th Haitham Al-Shboul28 January 2026Zakho Wesam RizikSacked13 February 20268th Ayoub Odisho13 February 2026Al-Najaf Qahtan ChathirResigned20 February 202619th Chasib Sultan3 March 2026Al-Minaa Luay SalahResigned22 February 202615th Hussein Abdul-Wahed27 February 2026Al-Zawraa Emad El NahhasMutual consent24 February 20266th Luay Salah25 February 2026Naft Maysan Hassan AhmedSacked24 February 202617th Ali Abdul-Jabbar25 February 2026Al-Karma Antonio CazorlaSacked2 March 20263rd Essam Hamad3 March 2026Amanat Baghdad Ahmed KhalafResigned7 March 202615th Wissam Talib7 March 2026Al-Qasim Haidar AboodiResigned11 March 202620th Hassan Hadi11 March 2026Duhok Abdul-Ghani ShahadResigned19 March 20269th Ahmed Khalaf19 March 2026Al-Gharraf Haider ObeidResigned20 March 202610th Qahtan Chathir23 March 2026Al-Najaf Chasib SultanResigned5 April 202619th Samer Saeed5 April 2026Al-Shorta Moamen SolimanMutual consent27 April 20262nd Ahmed Salah27 April 2026Al-Kahrabaa Ahmed Abdul-JabarResigned28 April 202617th Hassan Ahmed28 April 2026Al-Karma Essam HamadSacked1 May 20266th Moamen Soliman2 May 2026Zakho Ayoub OdishoResigned16 May 20268th Abdul-Ghani Shahad18 May 2026
League table
Results
Relegation play-off The 18th-placed team in the Stars League competed in a two-legged 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 tie ended in a draw on aggregate, there would be no extra time played and the game would go straight to a penalty shootout.
Karbala won 2–0 on aggregate. Karbala are promoted to Iraq Stars League, while Amanat Baghdad are relegated to the Iraqi Premier Division League.
Season statistics Top scorers RankPlayerClubGoals1 Sherzod TemirovErbil282 Alaa Al DaliAl-Mosul203 Peter GwargisDuhok194 Younis HamoudAl-Karkh185 Kingsley Fidelis KukuAl-Gharraf17 Leonel AtebaAl-Shorta
Hat-tricks
Player For Against Result Date Reference Leonel Ateba Al-Shorta Al-Karkh 3–0 (H) Kingsley Fidelis Kuku Al-Gharraf Amanat Baghdad 3–2 (H) Lucas Santos Al-Kahrabaa Amanat Baghdad 5–0 (A) Sherzod Temirov Erbil Al-Minaa 3–2 (H) Yassin Samia Al-Minaa Amanat Baghdad 4–0 (H) Alaa Al Dali4 Al-Mosul Diyala 4–0 (A) Younis Hamoud4 Al-Karkh Al-Najaf 5–2 (A)
Notes 4 Player scored 4 goals (H) – Home team(A) – Away team
Awards Manager of the Month MonthManagerTeamReferenceOctober Basim QasimErbilNovember Chasib SultanAl-MosulDecember Abdul-Ghani ShahadDuhokJanuary Antonio CazorlaAl-KarmaFebruary Rashid JaberAl-Quwa Al-JawiyaMarch Wali KareemNewrozApril Luay SalahAl-ZawraaMay Rashid JaberAl-Quwa Al-Jawiya
References
External links Official website Iraq Football Association