Younis Mahmoud

Younis Mahmoud
Mahmoud with Iraq in 2012
Personal information
Full name Younis Mahmoud Khalaf
Date of birth (1983-02-03) 3 February 1983 (age 41)
Place of birth Dibis, Kirkuk, Iraq
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s) Forward
Youth career
1997–1999 Kahrabaa Al-Dibis
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1999–2001 Kirkuk (24)
2001–2003 Al-Talaba (26)
2003–2004 Al-Wahda (0)
2004–2006 Al-Khor 49 (39)
2006–2011 Al-Gharafa 95 (72)
2008Al-Arabi (loan) 6 (2)
2011–2013 Al-Wakrah 33 (16)
2013 Al-Sadd 7 (2)
2013 Al-Ahli 6 (3)
2015 Erbil 0 (0)
2015–2016 Al-Talaba 19 (3)
Total (187)
International career
2001–2002 Iraq U19 8 (4)
2002–2004 Iraq U23 33 (21)
2014 Iraq Asian Games (OA) 6 (4)
2002–2016 Iraq 148 (57)
Medal record
Representing  Iraq
Men's football
WAFF Championship
First place 2002 Damascus Senior
West Asian Games
Gold medal – first place 2005 Doha Senior
Asian Games
Silver medal – second place 2006 Doha Olympic
Bronze medal – third place 2014 Incheon Olympic
AFC Asian Cup
First place 2007 ASEAN Senior
Arabian Gulf Cup
Second place 2013 Bahrain Senior
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Younis Mahmoud Khalaf (Arabic: يُونُس مَحمُود خَلَف; born 3 February 1983)[1][2][3] is an Iraqi former professional footballer who played as a forward for the Iraq national football team and is currently the second vice-president of the Iraq Football Association. One of the country's greatest ever players, Mahmoud captained the team for ten straight years and became an icon of Asian football.[4][5] He also played for a number of clubs including teams in Iraq, UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, winning three Golden Boots in Qatar and breaking numerous records.

Mahmoud's first official international goal was an equaliser in the 89th minute of the final of the 2002 WAFF Championship, which Iraq then went on to win in extra-time. Three years later, Mahmoud scored in the final of the 2005 West Asian Games to lead his team to another tournament win, before becoming the national team captain a year later. In 2007, Mahmoud achieved the best honour of his career, leading his country to win the 2007 AFC Asian Cup, their first such success, scoring the winning goal in the final and also winning the Golden Boot and Most Valuable Player awards at the tournament. In the 2007 Ballon d'Or, Mahmoud finished in 29th place, becoming the only Iraqi player ever to be nominated for the Ballon d'Or.

Mahmoud played in all three of Iraq's 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup matches and scored in the final of the Arabian Gulf Cup in 2013, before retiring in 2016 as the most-capped player in Iraq's history and their third-highest goalscorer ever.[6] He is also the only player in history to score in four different (and consecutive) AFC Asian Cup tournaments, with one goal in 2004, four in 2007, one in 2011 and two in 2015.

  1. ^ "FIFA Official Website - Younis Mahmoud Profile". Archived from the original on 13 September 2015. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  2. ^ "AFC Cup 2015". Archived from the original on 16 April 2015. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
  3. ^ "AFC Cup 2015". Archived from the original on 26 May 2015. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
  4. ^ "Asian Icons: Younis Mahmoud (Iraq)". Archived from the original on 30 January 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  5. ^ "Younis Mahmoud – What next for Iraq's beleaguered captain? Hassanin Mubarak". 7 March 2016. Archived from the original on 17 August 2016. Retrieved 10 July 2016.
  6. ^ "Iraq - Record International Players". Archived from the original on 10 July 2022. Retrieved 10 July 2016.

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