Iraq Stars League
The Iraq Stars League (Arabic: دوري نجوم العراق, romanized: Dawrī Nujūm Al-'Irāq, Kurdish: خولی ئەستێرەکانیی عێراق, romanized: Xulî estêrekanî 'Êraq) is the top level of the Iraqi football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Iraqi Premier Division League. It is governed by the Iraqi Pro League Association.
| Founded | 18 August 1974 |
|---|---|
| Country | Iraq |
| Confederation | AFC |
| Number of teams | 20 (since 2014–15) |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Relegation to | Iraqi Premier Division League |
| Domestic cup(s) | Iraq FA Cup Iraqi Super Cup |
| International cup(s) | AFC Champions League Elite AFC Champions League 2 Arab Club Champions Cup |
| Current champions | Al-Shorta (6th title) (2022–23) |
| Most championships | Al-Zawraa (14 titles) |
| Top goalscorer | Amjad Radhi (180) |
| TV partners | Al-Iraqiya TV Al-Rabiaa Sport |
| Current: 2023–24 Iraq Stars League | |
The league was formed by the Iraq Football Association in 1974 as the Iraqi National Clubs League, the first nationwide league of clubs in Iraq, and later became known as the Iraqi Premier League. In 2023, the competition was transformed into a professional league under the name Iraq Stars League. 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.
Of the 79 teams to have competed since the inception of the league in 1974, eleven have won the title. Al-Zawraa are the most successful club with 14 titles, followed by Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (7), Al-Shorta (6) and Al-Talaba (5), who together contest the Baghdad derbies. The current champions are Al-Shorta, who won the title in 2022–23.