Muhannad Al-Attabi
From Moscow to Athens, via Los Angeles and Seoul, the Iraqi national team has a history full of Olympic participation in football. Despite the challenges and difficulties, Athens 2004 had the lion’s share of achievements with the team reaching fourth place, embodying Iraqi ambition on the global stage. As the Paris Olympics approach, hopes and ambitions are renewed to achieve an achievement befitting the history of Iraqi football. The Mesopotamian Lions aspire to return to Olympic glory, building on a rich legacy of perseverance and determination. The Iraqi national team is setting its sights on achieving honorable results, restoring sparkle to Iraqi football and writing a new chapter of achievements in the Olympics book. Paris, with its heritage and beauty, may be the stage in which Iraq returns to the pinnacle of football glory.
Moscow 1980: The promising beginning
Iraq’s journey began in Moscow, where the team performed strongly by defeating Costa Rica 3-0 thanks to the brilliance of Hussein Saeed and Falah Hassan. Despite the draw with Finland and the loss against Yugoslavia, this participation was the beginning of great hope in Iraqi football.

Los Angeles 1984: A Step Forward
In Los Angeles, the national team advanced to the quarter-finals after a remarkable performance in the group stage, beating Canada and Cameroon, but luck was not on their side against France in the quarter-finals. But the Iraqi fans did not forget the goals of Hussein Saeed and Ahmed Radhi, which lit up the skies of Los Angeles.

Seoul 1988: a difficult experience
Seoul’s journey was not easy, as the team faced great difficulties and was unable to achieve any victory. This participation was a hard lesson, but it added a lot of experience to the national team.

Athens 2004: The Iraqi dream comes true
Athens was the place where the Iraqi dream turned into reality. Thanks to the efforts of stars such as Imad Muhammad, Younis Mahmoud, and Saleh Sudair, the Iraqi national team reached the semi-finals, recording impressive victories over Portugal, Costa Rica, and Australia. Despite the loss to Italy in the third-place match, fourth place was a historic achievement for Iraqi football, which remains engraved in the memory of the fans.

Rio de Janeiro 2016: return to the Olympic arena
In Rio, the Iraqi team performed honorably by drawing with Denmark and Brazil, and drawing with South Africa. Despite not qualifying for the final rounds, this participation was a positive step towards regaining Olympic status.

Through these contributions, it appears that Athens 2004 was the most prominent stage in Iraq’s Olympic history in football. It is an inspiring story of perseverance and determination, highlighting Iraq’s ability to compete at the highest levels and achieve great achievements

The media photographer Muhannad Al-Attabi