2002–03 Iraqi First Division League
The 2002–03 Iraqi First Division League was the 29th season of the top-tier Iraqi national football league since its establishment in 1974. Organised by the Iraq Football Association (IFA), the league's name was changed to Iraqi First Division League, and it started on 6 September 2002.
| Season | 2002–03 |
|---|---|
| Champions | N/A (season cancelled) |
| 2003 Arab Unified Club Championship | Al-Shorta |
| 2004 AFC Champions League | Al-Shorta Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya |
| 2003–04 Arab Champions League | Al-Zawraa Al-Talaba |
← 2001–02 (Iraqi Elite League) 2003–04 (Iraqi Premier League) → | |
27 rounds of the league were played before the 2003 invasion of Iraq began on 20 March 2003. Despite the outbreak of the Iraq War, matches continued with free entry for spectators, and games from rounds 28 and 29 were played in the midst of the conflict. The last matches were played on 28 March before the league stopped and Saddam Hussein's government was overthrown, leading to the formation of a new IFA committee.
The IFA revealed on 6 May that it was considering holding a play-off between the top four Baghdad clubs to decide who would qualify for the 2003 Arab Unified Club Championship. However, the IFA then announced on 30 May that Al-Shorta had been chosen to participate as they were leading the league table at the end of round 27 before the outbreak of war. The IFA later announced that the 2002–03 league competition had been cancelled and that the league table at the end of round 27 would also be used to determine the clubs that qualified for the Baghdad Championship and the AFC Champions League.