The 2024–25 Iraqi Premier Division League was the 51st season of the

Iraqi Premier Division League The Iraqi Premier Division League () 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). Each season, the two ...

, the second tier of the

Iraqi football league system The Iraqi football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for men's association football clubs in Iraq. The system has a hierarchical format with promotion and relegation across leagues at differe ...

since its establishment in 1974, and the second under its new name. The season was originally set to begin on 11 October, but was delayed to 22 October to allow clubs to complete their preparations. The 2024–25 season was played under a different format than the previous seasons, as teams are no longer separated into groups; instead the 20 teams played each other home and away in a

double round-robin A round-robin tournament or all-play-all tournament is a competition format in which each contestant meets every other participant, usually in turn.''Webster's Third New International Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged'' (1971, G. & ...

tournament.

Summary

Al-Gharraf started the season strong, and went undefeated for eleven rounds before losing their first game to eventual champions Al-Mosul. Prior to the match, the Al-Gharraf team complained about lack of funds due to delays in receiving grants from the government. Supporters of the club raised 150 million IQD in order for the club to continue operating. Both clubs achieved promotion to the

Iraq Stars League The Iraq Stars League (), is the highest 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 Associa ...

at the end of the season. Former Iraqi top-flight champions Naft Al-Wasat also experienced severe financial difficulties, and the team was close to suffering back-to-back relegations, but survived after winning the relegation play-off. The club's issues culminated in them forfeiting a match against

Maysan Maysan Governorate () is a governorate in southeastern Iraq, bordering Iran. Its administrative centre is the city of Amarah, and it is composed of six districts. Before 1976, it was named Amara Province. Etymology This region was called ''Messè ...

after not showing up to the game. On 18 January,

Khalid Mohammed Sabbar Khalid Mohammed Sabbar (; born 23 February 1973) is an Iraqi former football defender who played for Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, t ...

resigned from managing

Masafi Al-Wasat Masafi Al-Wasat (), also known as Al-Masafi, is a football team based in Baghdad, that plays in Iraqi Premier Division League. History in Premier League Masafi Al-Wasat played in the Iraqi Premier League for the first time in the 2009–10 seas ...

in order to take over at Naft Al-Wasat.

Teams

Team changes

The following teams have changed division since the 2023–24 season: Promoted from the

Iraqi First Division League The Iraqi First Division League is a Association football, football league that is the third tier of the Iraqi football league system, which was founded in 1974. The league consists of 20 teams split into two groups in the first stage. The top fou ...

* Al-Mosul * Al-Kadhimiya Relegated from the

Amanat Baghdad Amanat Baghdad Sports Club () is an Iraqi professional football team based in Karkh District, Baghdad, that competes in the Iraqi Premier Division League, the second tier of Iraqi football. Formed in 1957 as Amanat Al-Asima (), the team merged ...

* Naft Al-Wasat Promoted to the

* Diyala * Al-Karma Relegated to the

Samarra Samarra (, ') is a city in Iraq. It stands on the east bank of the Tigris in the Saladin Governorate, north of Baghdad. The modern city of Samarra was founded in 836 by the Abbasid caliph al-Mu'tasim as a new administrative capital and mi ...

Al-Shirqat Al-Shirqat is a town west of the Tigris in Saladin Governorate, Iraq, located 294 kilometres (183 mi) northwest of Baghdad. It is the main town of the Al-Shirqat District, and is near the ruins of the ancient Assyrian city of Assur. History ...

* Al-Kufa * Al-Diwaniya

Clubs and locations

League table

Promotion play-offs

Play-out round

The 3rd and 4th-placed teams compete in a play-off, with the winner advancing to the promotion play-off and the loser remaining in the Premier Division League. If the scores are level after 90 minutes, 30 minutes of extra time are played. If the scores are still level after extra time, the 3rd-placed team advances to the promotion play-off due to their superior league position.

Promotion play-off

The winner of the play-out round competes in a play-off with 18th-placed team from the

for a place in next season's Stars League. If the match ends in a draw after 90 minutes, there is no extra time played and the game goes straight to a penalty shootout.

Relegation play-off

The 18th-placed team competes in a play-off with the 3rd-placed team from the First Division League for a place in next season's Premier Division League. If the match ends in a draw after 90 minutes, there is no extra time played and the game goes straight to a penalty shootout.

References

External links

Iraq Football Association
{{Iraqi Premier Division League Iraqi Premier Division League seasons 2024–25 in Iraqi football leagues