Iraqi Football Association

Name

Iraqi Football Association

Legal name

Iraqi Football Association (الاتحاد العراقي لكرة القدم)

Website

https://ifa.iq

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

National Sports Federation / Football Governance

NAICS

Spectator Sports (71121), Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Amateur Sport Governing Bodies & Federations (National/Regional) (MPAKACAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Association Football (Soccer) Leagues (MPAKAAAA)

Keywords

• Football governance
• League management
• National team programs
• Coach certification
• Club licensing

Headquarters

HQ city

Baghdad

HQ country

Iraq

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Broadcasting Rights: The association sells exclusive broadcasting, production, and marketing rights for the Iraqi League to TV channels and specialized companies.
2. Sponsorship Revenue: Partnerships with sports brands and companies for national team and competition sponsorship.
3. Club Competition Fees: Fees collected from clubs participating in licensed professional league competitions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Iraqi Football Association is the national governing body for football in Iraq, organizing and regulating domestic competitions including the Iraqi Premier League, First Division, Second Division, age-group leagues, and the futsal league. It manages Iraq's national teams across senior, Olympic, youth, futsal, beach soccer, and women's categories, and delivers AFC-accredited coach certification (Pro, A, B, C) and referee training programs. Revenue is generated primarily through the sale of league broadcasting rights, sponsorship deals, club participation fees, and FIFA/AFC development grants.

Product overview

The Iraqi Football Association (IFA) operates as the national governing body for football in Iraq, managing a comprehensive portfolio of competitive leagues and development programs. The core offerings include the Iraqi Premier League (الدوري الممتاز) featuring 19 teams, the First Division League, Second Division League, and Age-Group Leagues (U20, U17). IFA also oversees all national team programs including senior, Olympic, youth (U19), U14, futsal, beach soccer, and women's teams. Supporting programs include AFC-accredited coach certification courses (Pro, A, B, C levels), referee training programs, and a club licensing system. The organization also coordinates broadcasting rights, training facilities, and international football relations through partnerships with FIFA, AFC, and other national federations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• World Cup 2026 qualification achieved - first qualification since 1986
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered major, minor and core.

• Adidas IraqmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 9 April 2026Adidas Iraq congratulated the association on the national team's World Cup qualification and offered a 25% discount on all products for association staff as part of their partnership support.
• Yemen Football AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026The Iraqi Football Association participated in a training workshop for Yemeni football coaches, sharing expertise in team identity building, training load management, and sports injury rehabilitation through Iraqi lecturers.
• Iraqi Media NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 March 2026The association collaborates with Iraqi Media Network to enhance media coverage and sports broadcasting. The network's Al-Iraqiya Sports channel provides coverage for national team activities and local competitions, supporting the development of football content in Iraq.
• UAE Football AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2022Meeting between Iraqi and UAE football association presidents to discuss preparations for hosting Gulf Cup 25 in Basra and strengthen bilateral relations between the two federations.
• Istthar CompanymajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 21 September 2022Istthar Company serves as the intermediary for selling broadcasting, production, and marketing rights for the Iraqi League to interested TV channels and specialized companies.
• La Liga (Spanish Football League)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2022The association organized a meeting between Iraqi Premier League clubs and a La Liga representative to learn about the league's operational structure and management methods for implementation in the Iraqi Professional League starting 2023-2024 season.
• FIFA (International Federation of Association Football)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFIFA is the world governing body for football. The Iraqi Football Association operates under FIFA regulations, participates in FIFA competitions, and receives support through development programs. FIFA's audit and compliance committee reviews the association's operations.
• AFC (Asian Football Confederation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFC is the governing body for football in Asia. The association participates in AFC competitions including Asian Cup qualifiers and receives Asian coaching licenses and trainer certifications.
• Football Federation of Kurdistan RegionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA delegation from the Kurdistan Region Football Federation visited the association headquarters to coordinate on football matters.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Bahrain Football Association: National federation of a smaller Gulf state. Directly comparable in scale, governance structure, AFC alignment and dependence on government + sponsor funding for operations.
• Kuwait Football Association: National federation of a Gulf neighbor with comparable federation size, league structure and AFC program participation. Same operating region and similar federation governance model.
• Qatar Football Association (QFA): National federation of another Gulf state with a domestic league system, AFC membership and event-hosting experience (e.g., World Cup 2022). Useful peer for monetizing national-team IP and tournament hosting at a small-population, high-investment federation.
• Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran: National football federation of a large West Asian market with similar AFC governance context, sanctions-era commercial dynamics and a multi-tier domestic league. Most comparable peer for federation scale and FIFA/AFC program participation.
• UAE Football Association: National football federation of a neighboring Gulf state, of comparable federation scale. Already a direct bilateral partner of IFA (Gulf Cup 25 coordination), making it the closest structural peer for governance, league products, and FIFA/AFC program access.
• Oman Football Association (OFA): National federation of a Gulf state with a multi-tier league and AFC membership. Comparable in tier, governance type and Gulf-region media/sponsor dynamics.
• Jordan Football Association: National football federation of a mid-sized West Asian nation with comparable FIFA ranking tier, AFC membership, and a domestic league of broadly similar scale to the Iraqi Premier League.
• Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF): National football federation of the leading Gulf football market. Comparable in that it operates a domestic league, national-team programs and AFC-aligned governance, but sits at a substantially larger commercial scale — useful as a benchmark for regional monetization trajectory.

Emerging players

• Football Federation of Kosovo (FFK): Smaller, recently-recognized national federation in a complex operating environment. Useful peer for benchmarking federation-building, FIFA grants, and political/identity-driven sponsorship constraints analogous to Iraq's.
• All India Football Federation (AIFF): National federation of a high-population market developing its professional league (ISL) with significant FIFA/AFC funding. Comparable as a federation pursuing the amateur-to-professional transition IFA is now undertaking, with broadcast rights commercialization as a key value-creation lever.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/iraqfa
• Facebookfacebook.com/iraqfa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Iraqi Football Association