2024–25 Iraq Stars League Al-Shorta's Historic Win

The 2024–25 Iraq Stars League marked the 51st season of the highest tier of football in Iraq since its inception in 1974. This season was particularly significant as it was only the second year since the league transitioned into a professional format under the name Iraq Stars League. The competition commenced on 20 September 2024 and concluded on 4 July 2025, with the relegation play-off taking place on 14 July 2025.

Champions and Standings

Al-Shorta made history by becoming the first team to win the league title four times consecutively. They dominated the season, finishing ten points ahead of the runners-up, Al-Zawraa. Al-Shorta officially secured the championship with two matches remaining after a decisive 3–1 victory over Naft Al-Basra.

League Overview

A total of 20 teams competed in the 2024–25 season. The league consisted of 18 returning teams from the previous season, joined by Diyala and Al-Karma, who earned promotion from the 2023–24 Iraqi Premier Division League. These teams replaced Amanat Baghdad and Naft Al-Wasat, who were relegated. Notably, Diyala returned to the top flight after a 13-year absence, and Al-Karma made its debut in the top-tier league.

Registration and Squad Rules

The Iraq Stars League implemented strict registration rules to maintain competitive balance and professional standards:

• Squad Size: Each team must submit a 25-man squad.
• Foreign Players: A maximum of six foreign players are allowed in the squad and on the pitch at any given time.
• Exemptions: Restrictions on foreign players do not apply to players from Yemen, and a maximum of one player from Syria is exempt.
• FIFA Rankings: No more than two players from countries ranked outside the top 90 of the FIFA Men's World Rankings can play simultaneously, and these players must be capped for their national teams.
• Goalkeepers: Teams are prohibited from signing foreign goalkeepers.
• Youth Players: Players registered for reserve or youth teams do not count toward the 25-man squad limit.

Transfer Windows

The summer transfer window ran from 2 August to 2 October 2024, while the winter window took place from 5 January to 5 February 2025.

Notable Incidents and Results

The season saw several unusual occurrences that impacted the final standings:

• Karbala vs. Duhok: A match that ended 2–1 in favor of Duhok during injury time was awarded as a 3–0 win for Duhok after an assistant referee was injured by a stone thrown from the crowd.
• Naft Al-Basra vs. Al-Najaf: A 0–0 draw was overturned to a 3–0 win for Al-Najaf because Naft Al-Basra fielded an ineligible player, Habib Omar Fofana.

Relegation Play-off

The 18th-placed team in the Stars League faced the winner of the play-out round from the Premier Division League. In a high-stakes match to determine top-flight status, Amanat Baghdad secured promotion back to the Iraq Stars League, while Naft Al-Basra was relegated to the Iraqi Premier Division League.