The Anthem
Mawtini (My Homeland)
▶ Listen on YouTube ↗“Mawtini, mawtini / My homeland, my homeland…”
Beloved across the Arab world; the poem is a pan-Arab anthem of resilience.
The Legends
Names that echo
Younis Mahmoud
Forward · 2000s–10s
Captain and scorer of the header that won the 2007 Asian Cup.
Ahmed Radhi
Forward · 1980s
Scorer of Iraq's only-ever World Cup goal, in 1986.
Hussein Saeed
Forward · 1970s–80s
One of Asia's all-time leading scorers and an Iraqi great.
Fun Facts
Worth knowing
- 01
In 2007, a war-torn Iraq united to win the Asian Cup — players of every background lifting the trophy together in one of sport's most moving stories.
- 02
Mesopotamia, between the Tigris and Euphrates, is often called the cradle of civilization.
- 03
Iraq's 'Mawtini' is sung as an anthem of hope across much of the Arab world.
At the World Cup
The story so far
Iraq's lone previous World Cup was in 1986. Its sporting glory came in 2007, when a country torn by war united to win the Asian Cup — and 2026 marks a long-awaited return to football's biggest stage.
The Asian Cup that healed
Against the odds, a divided Iraq won the Asian Cup — a moment of national unity that transcended sport.
The lone goal
Ahmed Radhi scored Iraq's only World Cup goal to date on the nation's debut in Mexico.
Group Stage