Al-Shaab Stadium

Al-Sha'ab International Stadium (Arabic: ملعب الشعب الدولي, lit. 'The People's Stadium') is an all-seater multi-purpose stadium in Baghdad, Iraq. The 35,700-seater was the home stadium of the Iraq national football team, as well as the largest stadium in Iraq, from its opening on 6 November 1966 until the Basra International Stadium was opened in 2013. It is owned by the government of Iraq.

The stadium hosted the 5th Arabian Gulf Cup, the 1982 Arab Club Champions Cup final and the full tournament in 1985, the 1972 Palestine Cup and the World Military Cup in 1968 and 1972.

In late 1959, a delegation from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation called upon then Prime Minister Abd al-Karim Qasim. The meeting contained an offer that the foundation presented to the government of Iraq. It was assigning a percentage of the steady grant of oil that is owned by the foundation to build projects in Baghdad. These projects included the Iraqi National Museum, the Iraqi National Theater, the Medical City and Al-Sha'ab Stadium.

Abd al-Karim Qasim announced the building of Al-Sha'ab stadium on 21 April 1960, in front of 15,000 spectators. He said that the building of the new official stadium of the Iraq national football team would be completed in 1962 and will have the capacity of 50,000 spectators.

The cost of construction was 1 million dinars, for the stadium to be one of the biggest in the Middle East. Its total area is 200,000m². It had an athletics track covered with Tartan, lighting towers with the height of 55 meters and the total area of the park is 40,000m² with the capacity of 4,000 cars. The complex had two training stadiums, basketball, volleyball, handball and tennis fields and also it contained an Olympic swimming pool.

The opening match of Al-Sha'ab stadium was on 6 November 1966 between the Portuguese team SL Benfica and a team that composed of the best players in Baghdad. 60,000 spectators attended the match at Al-Sha'ab Stadium. 30 minutes into the game, José Augusto Torres scored for Benfica. In the second half, Qasim Mahmoud scored for the Baghdad team at the 55th minute, tying up the game. Benfica made it 2–1 at the 80th minute from a shot by Domiciano Cavém.

On 9 April 2003, Al-Sha'ab stadium was severely damaged when it got bombed by the U.S. Air Force during the Battle of Baghdad (2003). Most of its seats were destroyed and numerous large craters werde appeared on the pitch. Until 2004, the stadium was used as an airstrip for the U.S. Air Force. Therefore, in April 2004, the Coalition Provisional Authority Chief Administrator, Paul Bremer, announced that $3 million would be given to renovate Al-Sha'ab Stadium and to make it in a good condition for hosting different sports. The stadium was officially reopened on 12 June 2005, being ready to host some of the 2004–05 Iraqi Premier League matches.

Iraq national football team could not play in Al-Sha'ab stadium from 2005 to 2009 because of the Iraqi Civil War. Iraq's first match in the stadium, after six years of playing the home matches in other countries, was on 13 July 2009, where Iraq met Palestine in an International friendly and won 4–0.