Iraq elects Younis Mahmoud as Football Chief

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) — Just weeks before Iraq’s 40-year World Cup comeback, Younis Mahmoud, a former captain of the national team, was chosen president of the Iraqi Football Association, giving one of the nation’s most famous athletes command of the organization.

Mahmoud defeated outgoing federation president Adnan Dirjal, who had led the organization since 2021, with 38 votes in Saturday’s poll. Dirjal garnered 20 votes.

The change in leadership coincides with one of the most prosperous times for Iraqi football in decades.

Dirjal has received high recognition for guiding Iraq’s 2026 World Cup qualifying and helping to restore the national team’s worldwide reputation.

Iraq increased sponsorship agreements, raised the federation’s reputation internationally, and formed significant alliances under Dirjal’s leadership, including recent contracts with multinational corporations like Google.

After leading the national side to its historic 2007 Asian Cup victory, when he scored the game-winning goal and ended as the tournament’s top scorer and best player, Mahmoud, 43, is still regarded as one of Iraq’s most renowned football icons.

In addition, he had a prosperous club career in Iraq, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, earning the Golden Boot three times in the Qatari league.

Iraq just defeated Bolivia in an intercontinental playoff to earn a spot in the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

The national squad faces a challenging group with Senegal, Norway, and France.

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المصدر: Iraqi News