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The Iraqi Premier Division League (Arabic: دوري الدرجة الممتازة العراقي)[1] is the second-highest division of the Iraqi football league system after the Iraq Stars League. The league is contested by 20 clubs and is operated by the Iraq Football Association (IFA). The current format sees 20 teams playing 38 matches each (playing each team in the league twice, home and away), totalling 380 matches in the season.[2]

Each season, the two top-finishing teams in the Premier Division League are automatically promoted to the Stars League. The third and fourth-placed teams compete in a play-off match, with the winner qualifying for the two-legged promotion play-off against the 18th-placed team from the Stars League. The two lowest-finishing teams are relegated to the First Division League, while the 18th-placed team enters a two-legged relegation play-off with the third-placed team from the First Division League.[3][4]

In the 2023–24 season, the competition’s name was changed from First Division League to Premier Division League. The current champions are Al-Jolan, who won the title in the 2025–26 season.[5][6] Al-Minaa and Al-Mosul are the record holders in the tournament having won three titles each.[7]

Competition name

Period Name
1974–1995 National Clubs Second Division League
1995–1999 First Division League
1999–2000 Second Division League
2000–2002 First Division League
2002–2003 Second Division League
2003–2023 First Division League
2023–present Premier Division League

Media perception and challenges

The Iraqi Premier Division League is colloquially known in the media as Dawri Al-Madhaleem (“Oppressed League”), a nickname reflecting the limited attention it receives from media outlets, governing bodies, and refereeing authorities. Clubs competing in the division often face significant financial constraints, and many operate with inadequate infrastructure and stadium facilities. Despite these difficulties, the league plays a crucial role in the development of Iraqi football and frequently serves as a platform for emerging players.[8][9][10][11]

List of champions

No. Season Champion
1 1974–75 Al-Zawraa
2 1975–76 Al-Ittihad
3 1976–77 Multiple groups
4 1977–78 Al-Shabab
5 1978–79 Al-Bahri
6 1979–80 Al-Adhamiya
7 1980–81 Al-Ittihad
8 1981–82 Al-Mosul
9 1982–83 Wahid Huzairan[a]
10 1983–84 Al-Rasheed
11 1984–85 Multiple groups
12 1985–86 Al-Bahri
13 1986–87 Al-Minaa
14 1987–88 Multiple groups
15 1988–89 Samarra
16 1989–90 Al-Minaa
17 1990–91 Al-Amana[b]
18 1991–92 Saad
No. Season Champion
19 1992–93 Multiple groups
20 1993–94 No promotion
21 1994–95 No promotion
22 1995–96 Al-Sulaikh
23 1996–97 Diyala
24 1997–98 Duhok
25 1998–99 Erbil
26 1999–2000 No promotion
27 2000–01 Kirkuk
28 2001–02 Al-Mosul
29 2002–03 Multiple groups
30 2003–04 Abandoned
31 2004–05 Multiple groups
32 2005–06 Multiple groups
33 2006–07 Multiple groups
34 2007–08 Multiple groups
35 2008–09 Multiple groups
36 2009–10 Peshmerga[c]
No. Season Champion
37 2010–11 Al-Shirqat
38 2011–12 Sulaymaniya
39 2012–13 Al-Karkh
40 2013–14 Multiple groups
41 2014–15 Al-Samawa
42 2015–16 Al-Hussein
43 2016–17 Al-Diwaniya
44 2017–18 Al-Karkh
45 2018–19 Al-Qasim
46 2019–20 Abandoned
47 2020–21 Al-Sinaa
48 2021–22 Al-Hudood
49 2022–23 Al-Minaa
50 2023–24 Diyala
51 2024–25 Al-Mosul
52 2025–26 Al-Jolan
  1. ^ Now known as Kirkuk.
  2. ^ Now known as Amanat Baghdad.
  3. ^ Now known as Peshmerga Sulaymaniya.

Most successful clubs

Club Titles Winning seasons
Al-Minaa 3 1986–87, 1989–90, 2022–23
Al-Mosul 3 1981–82, 2001–02, 2024–25
Al-Ittihad 2 1975–76, 1980–81
Al-Bahri 2 1978–79, 1985–86
Kirkuk 2 1982–83, 2000–01
Al-Karkh 2 2012–13, 2017–18
Diyala 2 1996–97, 2023–24
Al-Zawraa 1 1974–75
Al-Shabab 1 1977–78
Al-Adhamiya 1 1979–80
Al-Rasheed 1 1983–84
Samarra 1 1988–89
Amanat Baghdad 1 1990–91
Saad 1 1991–92
Al-Sulaikh 1 1995–96
Duhok 1 1997–98
Erbil 1 1998–99
Peshmerga Sulaymaniya 1 2009–10
Al-Shirqat 1 2010–11
Sulaymaniya 1 2011–12
Al-Samawa 1 2014–15
Al-Hussein 1 2015–16
Al-Diwaniya 1 2016–17
Al-Qasim 1 2018–19
Al-Sinaa 1 2020–21
Al-Hudood 1 2021–22
Al-Jolan 1 2025–26

See also

References

  1. ^ “في دوري الدرجة الممتازة تعادل فريق ديالى مع غاز لشمال من دون أهداف” (in Arabic). Al-Rabiaa Sports. 23 December 2023.
  2. ^ “اعتماد تصنيف وآلية وموعد انطلاق دوري الدرجة الأولى”. ifa.iq (in Arabic). Retrieved 2021-08-10.
  3. ^ “تغيير في آلية التأهل والهبوط بالدرجة الاولى”. almaalomah.me (in Arabic). 8 April 2023.
  4. ^ “بالوثيقة.. تغيير آلية الصعود والهبوط في الدوريين الممتاز والأول”. baghdadtoday.news (in Arabic). 8 April 2023.
  5. ^ “الميناء بطلا لدوري الدرجة الأولى بعد فوزه على الامانة”. shafaq.com (in Arabic). 2 June 2023.
  6. ^ “بالصور.. الميناء يتوج بلقب دوري الدرجة الأولى على حساب بغداد”. kooora.com (in Arabic). 2 June 2023.
  7. ^ “الميناء يحرز لقب دوري الدرجة الاولى للموسم 2022/ 2023”. al-mirbad.com (in Arabic). 2 June 2023.
  8. ^ “دوري الدرجة الاولى دوري مظاليم بإمتياز”. ipoa.me (in Arabic). 19 May 2021.
  9. ^ “دوري المظاليم.. قوة وتحدٍّ وإصرار”. magazine.imn.iq (in Arabic). 30 May 2023.
  10. ^ “المظاليم أولى بالاهتمام”. alsabaah.iq (in Arabic). 31 May 2023.
  11. ^ “تنظيم جيد لدوري المظاليم لكنه بحاجة إلى المزيد من الأضواء”. azzaman-iraq.com (in Arabic). 7 June 2023.