LaLiga closes Iraq partnership after reshaping domestic game and youth football

LaLiga has ended its consultancy and football development project with the Iraq Football Association after more than three years of cooperation, following the expiry of the original contract and unsuccessful negotiations over a new agreement.

The project began in 2023 under then Iraq Football Association president Adnan Dirjal. LaLiga established a permanent team in Baghdad, supported by hundreds of specialists from its headquarters in Madrid and international offices.

LaLiga president Javier Tebas was directly involved throughout the programme and visited Iraq on several occasions.

“Iraq has one of the most passionate and committed football fan bases in the world, and this enthusiasm has been a constant source of inspiration for our team throughout these three years,” Tebas said.

“Everything we have built together represents a legacy for Iraqi football. I am convinced that the foundations we have laid are solid, and I trust that those now responsible for them will know how to preserve and develop them.”

Changes to competitions and the professional game

The partnership brought a wide-ranging restructuring of Iraq’s first and second divisions. The revised competitions involved 20 teams and 380 matches, while new play-off systems were introduced to determine promotion, survival and relegation.

The changes also clarified the roles and responsibilities within the Iraq Football Association and the structures responsible for running the competitions.

A conditional asymmetric calendar was implemented, alongside a phased strategy developed from 2023 to bring the start and end of the Iraqi season closer to those of major European leagues. Work carried out during the summer of 2026 was described as crucial to ensuring the new season began on a sound basis while accommodating the Iraq Cup, the new Iraqi Super Cup, national-team commitments and clubs’ participation in continental competitions.

The first stage of a financial control system for clubs was also introduced. It included financial regulations, training programmes in Iraq and Spain, and the creation of validation and appeal committees.

Video assistant referee technology was used for the first time in Iraqi football.

LaLiga said the value of audiovisual rights increased 6.5-fold during the project. Digital coverage attracted more than 20 million views during the 2025-26 season, with an average of 112,000 views per match.

A deal was agreed with adidas for the company to become the official ball supplier, while the competition introduced its first professional model for activating and measuring sponsorship.

The competition’s digital ecosystem grew by 39.6%, or 81.7% when WhatsApp was included, reaching 474,600 followers. The 20 clubs collectively recorded 6.29 million followers, with every club registering positive growth.

LaLiga organised 20 workshops, trained more than 500 specialists from 40 clubs and delivered more than 200 hours of education. The programme included three work-experience placements at LaLiga’s headquarters in Madrid and covered all areas of the project, including business and sporting development.

Youth football and the ‘Dream Project’

A national youth-league structure was created as part of what was known as the “Dream Project”.

The system expanded from 66 teams in the 2023-24 season to 174 teams in 2025-26. Over the same period, it recorded 1,608 matches and 4,070 registered players. LaLiga said that represented increases of more than 163% in the number of teams, 301% in matches and 142% in registered players.

For the first time, all players were registered through the MyIFA digital platform, which included regulations designed to prevent age manipulation. The system also registered 856 coaches, 994 referees and 226 match observers.

The Iraq Football Association’s talent centre in Baghdad assessed 1,424 participants from 66 institutions. A total of 96 players and 14 coaches were selected for individual, data-led monitoring.

LaLiga also drew up a three-year strategic plan for the development of the Iraq Football Association. The plan was submitted to and approved by Fifa, allowing the association to join Fifa’s Talent Development Scheme (TDS).

That approval moved the Iraq Football Association from the “Development” category to the “Aspiring” category and increased its allocated funding from zero to $250,000 (£185,000).

Attempts to extend the cooperation

The original contract ended in April 2026. While the Iraq Football Association’s electoral process was being completed, LaLiga kept its team and operations in Baghdad.

After the new leadership took office, the Iraqi association asked LaLiga to retain its team in the country for a further three months while negotiations over a new agreement continued. LaLiga accepted and continued its work during that period.

LaLiga said it showed considerable flexibility and commitment while putting forward several technical and contractual options. It also accepted the Iraq Football Association’s decision not to continue the “Dream Project” and, at the association’s request, developed a new area of work focused on refereeing.

The proposal, prepared with Spain’s Technical Committee of Referees (CTA), included the permanent appointment of a lead expert in Iraq, alongside direct support from prominent international refereeing figures.

It would also have allowed representatives of the Iraq Football Association’s refereeing department to attend the CTA’s weekly internal review sessions, described by LaLiga as an unprecedented opportunity at international refereeing level.

Despite the range of alternatives presented, the two sides ultimately failed to reach a new agreement.

LaLiga said it remained willing to work with Iraqi football in the future and thanked Iraqi officials, clubs, coaches, referees and supporters for their cooperation over the previous three years.

It added that the systems introduced, personnel trained and knowledge transferred during the project provided a strong foundation for Iraqi football to continue its development.

LaLiga said it would maintain its wider international commitment to football development. The organisation is currently involved in consultancy projects covering sporting development, the professionalisation of leagues and clubs, audiovisual production, academies and youth development, using the same standards of excellence, professionalism and commitment that characterised its work in Iraq.