Erbil SC

Early history and promotion to the top division

Erbil SC was founded on 3 November 1968, by the former Kurdistan-Iraq Football Association and spent decades in regional leagues and lower league competitions. The team finally qualified for the top division for the first time in the 1987-88 season, where they finished 15th out of 16th in the league, however the team escaped relegation as the FA decided to not relegate any team due to a planned expansion on the league. The following season, the FA adapted a bizarre league and playoff style, teams where split into one of four groups, where the top two teams from each group come together to play a knockout style playoff. Erbil surprisingly finished in the top ten. In the 1989-1990 season, Erbil would finish bottom of the league with only 8 points, however they would once again benefit from the FA deciding to increase the number of teams, and as such escaped relegation.

1990s

At the halfway stage of the 1990-91 season, Erbil were forced to withdraw from the competition due to the 1991 uprisings in Iraq. so the Iraq U19 team was brought in to play the remaining half of the season. The club was allowed to stay in the league, after it was decided that their withdrawal was outside of their control in the previous season. In the 1991–92 season, Erbil finished bottom of the league with 19 points from 38 matches, however that season the FA decided that the bottom three teams would play a play-off to decide the relegated…

From 2004 to 2005, the competition changed from league system to various rounds including table and knockout rounds. From 2011 to 2012, the competition went back to the single league system. From 2014 to 2015, the competition returned to a system with various rounds. From 2016 to 2017, the competition went back to the single league system.

Iraq Stars League

The following players have won the Golden boot while playing for Erbil 2006–07 – Ahmed Salah Alwan 11 goals 2008–09 – Ahmed Salah Alwan 15 goals 2010–11 – Luay Salah 17 goals 2012–13 – Amjad Radhi 25 goals 2025–26 – Sherzod Temirov 28 goals