Iraq's Zakho FC wins FIFA Best Fan Award for 2025

Shafaq News – Doha / Erbil / Duhok (Updated at 15:25)

Fans of Iraq’s Zakho Sports Club captured the Best Fan Award for 2025, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) confirmed on Tuesday.

The FIFA Best Fan Award is an annual prize recognizing the most passionate and dedicated football supporters worldwide. This year, two other finalists were Alejandro Ciganotto, head of the Racing Club supporters’ association in Argentina, and the late Manuel Cáceres, a prominent Spanish fan.

At a ceremony held in Doha, FIFA described Zakho’s supporters as among the most devoted, noting a recent fan-led initiative that turned a league match in Iraq into a moment of collective charity.

On May 13, ahead of Zakho’s league match against Al-Hudood, supporters filled the stadium with thousands of stuffed toys, tossing them onto the pitch before kickoff. The toys were later collected and distributed to sick children.

The club framed the moment as a “reflection of values that resonated well beyond the stadium,” noting the fan base remains a driving force behind the team.

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani swiftly congratulated the club on FIFA’s recognition, noting the achievement is not just a victory for Zakho SC, but “a source of pride for the sports movement in Kurdistan and Iraq.”

He also commended the fans for transforming their stadium “into a beautiful work of art” and conveying “a message of peace, love, and joy for life from the people of Kurdistan to the world.”

سەرۆك نێچیرڤان بارزانی پیرۆزبایی لە یانەی زاخۆ دەكاتhttps://t.co/P7WcBZutrD pic.twitter.com/hypGXKc21l

— Kurdistan Region Presidency (@KurdistanRegion) December 16, 2025

Speaking to Shafaq News, Delzar Adnan, a member of the club’s management, described FIFA’s recognition as a moment that places the city and its supporters on the global football map, framing the award as both a sporting honor and a milestone in Zakho’s history.

He added that the prize represents a rare international acknowledgment for a local fan base, praising the broad public backing from supporters inside and outside Iraq.

Following the announcement, hundreds of Duhok residents poured into streets and public spaces, joining in traditional Kurdish dances and festive celebrations. Supporters chanted club songs and waved Zakho SC flags, creating an atmosphere of pride and acclaim for the achievement on the global stage.

Zakho SC, founded in 1987 and based in Duhok province, has secured at least one national trophy, winning the Iraqi Third Division in the 1991–92 season. The club has also claimed the Kurdistan Regional Cup on multiple occasions.

Its supporters are widely regarded as among the most passionate in Iraq, with attendance at home matches often ranging between 40,000 and 60,000—well above the stadium’s 20,000-seat capacity.