Zakho SC tops Iraq Stars League squad values
Shafaq News- Baghdad
Zakho SC enters the 2026-27 Iraq Stars League season as the competition’s most valuable club, with a squad market value of €7.93 million following an active transfer window that saw teams strengthen their squads with new local and foreign signings.
Al-Karmah ranks second at €7.73 million, while defending champions Al-Shorta SC sit third with a squad value of €6.53 million. Duhok SC and Erbil SC complete the top five, with market values of €6.40 million and €6.38 million, respectively.
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya SC ranks sixth with a squad value of €6.30 million. Al-Zawraa SC and Al-Talaba SC share seventh place at €5.65 million each, followed by Newroz at €5.23 million. Mosul ranks ninth at €4.83 million, while Diyala completes the top 10 with a market value of €4.25 million.
Further down the rankings, Al-Minaa SC is valued at €4.23 million, followed by Al-Karkh at €4.03 million, Al-Naft at €3.63 million, Al-Gharaf at €3.60 million, Naft Maysan at €3.45 million, Al-Kahrabaa at €3.38 million, Al-Jolan at €2.75 million, and Ghaz Al-Shamal at €1.50 million.
Karbala SC has the lowest market value among the league’s clubs, with its squad valued at €225,000.
The increase in club valuations comes as Iraq’s top-flight teams continue to invest in their squads ahead of the new campaign, with several clubs adding local and foreign players in an effort to compete for the league title. Market value, however, remains an indicator of financial strength rather than a guarantee of success on the pitch.
The 2026-27 Iraq Stars League season is scheduled to begin on Aug. 14, 2026, with 20 clubs competing for the championship. The new campaign follows a period of success for several traditional contenders. Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya SC won the 2025-26 league title, while Al-Shorta SC secured back-to-back championships in the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons.
Al-Zawraa SC remains the most successful club in Iraqi league history with 14 titles. Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya SC and Al-Shorta SC follow with eight championships each, placing them among the most decorated clubs in the country’s football history.
*€1 = IQD 1,511.70
