{{Short description|Iraqi sports club}} {{about|the Iraqi sports club||Al-Shorta (disambiguation)}} {{use dmy dates|date=July 2014}} {{Infobox football club | clubname = Al-Shorta | image = Al-Shorta Sports Club (Iraq) Crest.png | upright = 0.85 | fullname = Al-Shorta Sports Club | nickname = ''Al-Qithara'' (The Harp) | founded = {{Start date and age|1932}} | ground = Al-Shorta Stadium | capacity = 10,089 | chrtitle = President | chairman = Abdul-Halim Fahem | manager = Ahmed Salah | mgrtitle = Head coach | league = Iraq Stars League | current = 2025–26 Al-Shorta SC season | season = 2024–25 | position = Iraq Stars League, 1st of 20 (champions) | pattern_la1 = _shorta2526h | pattern_b1 = _shorta2526h | pattern_ra1 = _shorta2526h | pattern_sh1 = _shorta2526h | pattern_so1 = _shorta2526h | leftarm1 = 006441 | body1 = FFFFFF | rightarm1 = 006441 | shorts1 = 006441 | socks1 = 006441 | pattern_la2 = _shorta2526a | pattern_b2 = _shorta2526a | pattern_ra2 = _shorta2526a | pattern_sh2 = _shorta2526a | pattern_so2 = _shorta2526a | leftarm2 = 8C0088 | body2 = FFFFFF | rightarm2 = 8C0088 | shorts2 = 641D64 | socks2 = 7F1392 | website = {{URL|alshortasc.com}} }} {{sidebar | titlestyle = font-size:125%; background:green; color:white; | title = Active departments of Al-Shorta SC | contentstyle = padding-top:0.5em; | content1 = {{aligned table|cols=3|fullwidth=y | 30px | 30px | 30px | Football | Basketball | Handball
| 30px | 30px | 30px | Futsal | Volleyball | Beach volleyball
| 30px | 30px | 30px | Archery | Athletics | Bodybuilding
| 30px | 30px | 30px | Boxing | Diving | Footvolley
| 30px | 30px | 30px | Judo | Show jumping | Swimming
| 30px | 30px | 30px | Taekwondo | Water polo | Weightlifting
| 30px | | | Wrestling | | }}}}
'''Al-Shorta Sports Club''' ({{langx|ar|نادي الشرطة الرياضي|lit=''Police Sports Club''}}) is an Iraqi sports club based in Al-Rusafa, Baghdad. It has teams in 19 different sports, and the best known section of the club is the football team, whose origins date back to 1932. The team competes in the Iraq Stars League, the top flight of Iraqi football. Since 2026, the team has played its home matches at Al-Shorta Stadium, which was built on the same site as the club's previous home.
Al-Shorta's football team is one of the most successful in Iraq, having won the Iraq Stars League eight times, the Iraq FA Cup once, the Iraqi Super Cup twice and the Baghdad Championship three consecutive times. Al-Shorta hold the Iraq Stars League record for the most consecutive titles, having won four league titles in a row between 2022 and 2025, and completed the domestic double for the first time in the 2023–24 season. In international football, Al-Shorta won the inaugural Arab Club Champions Cup title in 1982 and reached the semi-finals in 2023.
Al-Shorta compete in Baghdad derbies with rivals Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, Al-Zawraa and Al-Talaba, and became the first team to win all six derby matches in one league season in the 2021–22 season. The team is popularly nicknamed "Al-Qithara" ({{lit|The Harp}}).
==History== === Foundation and early years (1932–1948) === The Al-Shorta (Police) football team was formed in 1932 by Mudhafar Ahmed, the director of the Police Schools in Baghdad.<ref name="ghazi">{{cite web|url=https://forum.kooora.com/?t=31135679|title=The Second Prince Ghazi Cup|last=Al-Fartoosi|first=Amir|access-date=8 August 2012|archive-date=25 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200725041725/https://forum.kooora.com/?t=31135679|url-status=live}}</ref> Al-Shorta participated in the second edition of the Prince Ghazi Cup in the 1932–33 season, and claimed their first trophy in 1938 by winning the Taha Al-Hashimi Cup, followed by victories in the Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Cup and Al-Olympi Club Cup in 1939.<ref name="History Arabic">{{cite web|url=http://www.kooora.com/default.aspx?team=442 |title=Al-Shorta SC History (Arabic) |publisher=Kooora.com |language=ar |last=Al-Ahmad |first=Abu Baqir |date=7 January 2014 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140107093734/http://www.kooora.com/default.aspx?team=442 |archive-date=7 January 2014 }}</ref> The team later became known as Madaris Al-Shorta (Police Schools) after a new Police team called Al-Quwa Al-Siyara (Mobile Force) was formed.<ref name="birth of lions">{{cite book|last1=Mubarak|first1=Hassanin|title=Birth of the Lions of Mesopotamia: The early years of football in Iraq|year=2020|publisher=Amazon Digital Services LLC - KDP Print US |isbn=979-8670555623}}</ref>
=== "Select XI" era (1948–1974) === The Iraq Football Association was established in 1948 and it was decided that a Police Select XI (''Montakhab Al-Shorta'') would compete in the inaugural Baghdad top-flight league season in 1948–49.<ref name="The Iraq Times">{{cite web|title=Baghdad Football League games start on Friday|url=https://gpa.eastview.com/crl/mena/newspapers/iraq19481102-01.1.5|publisher=The Iraq Times|date=2 November 1948|access-date=28 July 2020|archive-date=27 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727192001/https://gpa.eastview.com/crl/mena/?a=d&d=iraq19481102-01.1.5|url-status=live}}</ref> The Al-Shorta Select XI were relegated from the top-flight that season, and therefore competed in the second division in the 1949–50 season.<ref name="birth of lions"/> In the 1950–51 season, Madaris Al-Shorta entered the newly-formed third division and Al-Quwa Al-Siyara competed in the second tier instead of the Al-Shorta Select XI,<ref>{{cite web|title=How leagues stand|url=https://gpa.eastview.com/crl/mena/newspapers/iraq19510105-01.1.7|publisher=The Iraq Times|date=5 January 1951|access-date=17 April 2022|archive-date=21 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210321002040/https://gpa.eastview.com/crl/mena/?a=d&d=iraq19510105-01.1.7|url-status=live}}</ref> and the two teams were both leading their respective divisions before the season was abandoned.<ref>{{cite web|title=A review of the sporting year|last=George|first=George|url=https://gpa.eastview.com/crl/mena/newspapers/iraq19511218-01.1.108|publisher=The Iraq Times|date=18 December 1951|access-date=19 April 2022|archive-date=2 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230502145107/https://gpa.eastview.com/crl/mena/?a=d&d=iraq19511218-01.1.108|url-status=live}}</ref>
thumb|right|Al-Shorta players lining up before a match in 1937. From the 1951–52 season, Madaris Al-Shorta and Al-Quwa Al-Siyara combined to form the Al-Shorta Select XI 'A' and 'B' teams to compete in the region's top-flight and second division respectively.<ref name="birth of lions"/> Al-Shorta Select XI 'A' finished as runners-up of the top-flight in 1957–58, while Al-Shorta Select XI 'B' finished as runners-up of the second division in 1958–59.<ref>{{cite web|title=Spinning & Weaving win 2nd Div. Cup|url=https://gpa.eastview.com/crl/mena/newspapers/iraq19590616-01.1.6|publisher=The Iraq Times|date=16 June 1959|access-date=20 June 2022|archive-date=2 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230502145037/https://gpa.eastview.com/crl/mena/?a=d&d=iraq19590616-01.1.6|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1960, the Police Games Committee (later renamed to Police Games Directorate) was formed to control Police sports in Iraq, and they decided to expand the Police force's sporting activities for the 1960–61 season. Al-Quwa Al-Siyara re-entered the IFA's football pyramid as an individual team, joining the regional second division along with newly-formed Police teams Aliyat Al-Shorta and Shortat Al-Najda,<ref>{{cite web|title=Draw for soccer championships takes place in capital|url=https://gpa.eastview.com/crl/mena/newspapers/iraq19610219-01.1.15|publisher=The Iraq Times|date=19 February 1961|access-date=6 May 2022|archive-date=2 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230502145055/https://gpa.eastview.com/crl/mena/?a=d&d=iraq19610219-01.1.15|url-status=live}}</ref> while the Al-Shorta Select XI 'A' and 'B' teams continued to compete in the top-flight and second division respectively.<ref>{{cite web|title=Iraq Football Association|url=https://gpa.eastview.com/crl/mena/newspapers/iraq19611009-01.1.15|publisher=The Iraq Times|date=9 October 1961|access-date=19 April 2022|archive-date=2 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230502145038/https://gpa.eastview.com/crl/mena/?a=d&d=iraq19611009-01.1.15|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Iraq First Division games on league system|url=https://gpa.eastview.com/crl/mena/newspapers/iraq19611016-01.1.14|publisher=The Iraq Times|date=16 October 1961|access-date=19 April 2022|archive-date=4 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210404204709/https://gpa.eastview.com/crl/mena/?a=d&d=iraq19611016-01.1.14|url-status=live}}</ref> After finishing as Iraq Central FA Premier League runners-up again in 1960–61, Al-Shorta Select XI 'A' won the league title for the first time in the 1962–63 season.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://forum.kooora.com/?t=3490664|title=Story of the Iraqi Football League|publisher=Kooora.com|last=Al-Ahmad|first=Abu Baqir|language=ar|date=11 February 2007|access-date=9 January 2017|archive-date=27 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727013224/https://forum.kooora.com/?t=3490664|url-status=live}}</ref>
At the end of that season, Aliyat Al-Shorta secured promotion to the top-flight, meaning there were two Police teams in the top division.<ref name="Coaches2">{{cite web|title=Various Baghdad Police Clubs - Coaches|url=https://www.rsssf.org/players/shurta-baghdad-coach.html|website=RSSSF|language=en|last=Mubarak|first=Hassanin|date=5 November 2020|access-date=4 February 2023|archive-date=2 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221002123903/https://www.rsssf.org/players/shurta-baghdad-coach.html|url-status=live}}</ref> As a result, the Al-Shorta Select XI 'A' team were replaced in the top-flight by Madaris Al-Shorta from the 1963–64 season, while the Al-Shorta Select XI 'B' team were disbanded. From this point, the Al-Shorta Select XI would only compete in the Republic Championship and in matches against visiting foreign teams.<ref name="sportsclub">{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesi/iraq75.html|title=Iraq 1974/75|last=Hashim|first=Refel|website=RSSSF|date=25 May 2002|access-date=4 February 2023|archive-date=5 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230205204429/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesi/iraq75.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Formed from the best players of the individual Police teams, the Al-Shorta Select XI won the Republic Championship in both 1968 and 1969. The Al-Shorta Select XI was led by the coach of Aliyat Al-Shorta, Mohammed Najeeb Kaban, and included many of the star players from Aliyat Al-Shorta, a team that went on to win four league titles and reach the final of the 1971 Asian Champion Club Tournament where they refused to face Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.the-afc.com/news/afcsection/roll-of-honour-19462|title=Roll of honour|publisher=Asian Football Confederation|date=21 February 2011|access-date=23 May 2020|archive-date=23 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523212913/https://www.the-afc.com/news/afcsection/roll-of-honour-19462|url-status=live}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" |- style="vertical-align: top; font-size: 95%;" |+Timeline of league participation | * '''1948–1949:''' Al-Shorta Select XI (L1) * '''1949–1950:''' Al-Shorta Select XI (L2) * '''1950–1951:''' ''Select XI not in league'' | * '''1951–1963:''' Al-Shorta Select XI 'A' (L1);<br />Al-Shorta Select XI 'B' (L2) * '''1963–1974:''' ''Select XI not in league'' * '''1974–present:''' Al-Shorta SC (L1) |} {{smalldiv|1=L1 = Level 1 of the league system; L2 = Level 2 of the league system}}
=== Club transition and Arab title (1974–1990) === In 1974, the Iraq Football Association (IFA) decided to implement a clubs-only policy for domestic competitions, forming the Iraqi National Clubs League which was only open to clubs and not institute-representative teams such as the individual Police teams.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://niiiis.com/story.html|title=Iraqi Football League History|publisher=NIIIIS.com|language=ar|date=9 January 2017|access-date=9 January 2017|archive-date=28 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161028072225/http://niiiis.com/story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> With the IFA dictating that only a single club would be allowed to represent the Police in the new top-flight, Al-Shorta Sports Club was provisionally established on 18 August 1974 by the Iraqi Olympic Committee and was placed under the control of the Police Games Directorate (PGD) until the club's formal establishment.<ref name="sportsclub"/> The PGD was strongly opposed to the IFA's new clubs-only policy and thus decided to field a team of amateurs for Al-Shorta to compete in the inaugural 1974–75 season in protest.<ref name="History Arabic"/> After suffering heavy defeats in their first two games,<ref name="naqil">{{cite web|url=http://forum.kooora.com/f.aspx?t=29867833|title=Al-Naqil score on average every 8 minutes in 11–0 win over Al-Shorta in 1974|publisher=Kooora.com|last=Mahmoud|first=Shukri|date=31 December 2011|access-date=9 January 2017|archive-date=27 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727020339/https://forum.kooora.com/f.aspx?t=29867833|url-status=live}}</ref> the amateur players were replaced by players from the Shortat Al-Najda and Kuliyat Al-Shorta teams for the remainder of the season,<ref name="History Arabic"/> before ten Aliyat Al-Shorta players joined the team for the 1975–76 season.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesi/iraq76.html|title=Iraq 1975/76|last=Hashim|first=Refel|website=RSSSF|date=19 May 2002|access-date=4 February 2023|archive-date=5 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230205204429/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesi/iraq76.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Al-Shorta was formally established as a sports club in 1978, registering as such with the Ministry of Youth and Sports and being attached to the Ministry of Interior.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=446236188753428&set=a.113026182074432|title=Police Sport Club|date=29 August 2012|publisher=Al-Shorta SC|language=ar|last=Bunyan|first=Ayad}}</ref> Al-Shorta won their first national league title in the 1979–80 season, finishing ahead of rivals Al-Zawraa on goal difference under the leadership of former player Douglas Aziz.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://forum.kooora.com/f.aspx?t=35612335|title=Learn about the champions of the 1979/80 season (Al-Shorta)|publisher=Kooora.com|last=Anwiyah|first=Emmanuel|date=14 July 2015|access-date=9 January 2017|archive-date=27 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727023417/https://forum.kooora.com/f.aspx?t=35612335|url-status=live}}</ref> This qualified them for the inaugural Arab Club Champions Cup in 1981–82, and Al-Shorta became the first ever Arab club champions with a 4–2 aggregate win over Al-Nejmeh in the final.<ref name="arab">{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/arabchamp.html|title=Arab Club Champions Cup|website=RSSSF|date=8 December 2016|access-date=4 February 2023|archive-date=23 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220923155459/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/arabchamp.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
In 1983, the club changed their name to Qiwa Al-Amn Al-Dakhili (Internal Security Forces) while Iraq was at war; that name only lasted for one season before they returned to the name Al-Shorta.<ref name="Coaches">{{cite web|title=Al-Shurta (Baghdad) - Coaches|url=https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/shurta-coach.html|website=RSSSF|language=en|last=Mubarak|first=Hassanin|date=10 May 2013|access-date=4 February 2023|archive-date=13 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230113021432/https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/shurta-coach.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1985, Al-Shorta won the Arab Police Championship for the third time while representing the Iraq Police team, having previously won in 1976 and 1978.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.alshortasc.com/honours|title=نادي الشرطة العراقي - الإنجازات|publisher=Al-Shorta SC|access-date=20 December 2023|language=ar}}</ref>
=== Resurgence and national records (1990–2003) === {{football squad on pitch|align=left | GK = <abbr title="Ayad Khudhor">'''Khudhor'''</abbr> | RB = '''Issa''' | RCB = <abbr title="Haidar Hameed">'''Hameed'''</abbr> | LCB = '''Habib''' | LB = <abbr title="Adil Ogla">'''A. Ogla'''</abbr> | RM = <abbr title="Abdul-Hussein Jawad">'''Jawad'''</abbr> | RCM = <abbr title="Ayad Abbas">'''Abbas'''</abbr> | LCM = <abbr title="Mahir Ogla">'''M. Ogla'''</abbr> | LM = '''Qais''' (C) | LCF = <abbr title="Mufeed Assem">'''Assem'''</abbr> | RCF = <abbr title="Mahmoud Majeed">'''Majeed'''</abbr> | caption = Starting line-up for 3–2 win against Al-Sulaikh which secured the 1997–98 league title.<ref name="Old Lineups">{{cite web|url=http://forum.kooora.com/?t=18983671|title=Old Al-Shorta Lineups|publisher=Kooora|date=30 August 2009|access-date=7 July 2018|archive-date=7 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180707062548/http://forum.kooora.com/?t=18983671|url-status=live}}</ref> }} On 23 December 1990, Al-Shorta played their first match at the original Al-Shorta Stadium, which was built with the help of volunteers and club workers, beating Al-Tijara 3–2.<ref name="history">{{cite web|url=https://www.alshortasc.com/about-club/history|title=نادي الشرطة العراقي - تاريخ النادي|publisher=Al-Shorta SC|access-date=20 December 2023|language=ar}}</ref> In the 1993–94 season, Al-Shorta striker Younis Abid Ali scored 36 league goals which remains an Iraqi record for most goals scored by a player in one league season.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.foxsports.com.au/football/socceroos/simon-says-the-deteriorating-state-of-iraqi-football/news-story/95310ee91a18186f4128310836409fda|title=Simon Says: The deteriorating state of Iraqi football|work=Fox Sports|date=1 September 2016}}</ref>
There were three contenders for the 1997–98 Iraqi Premier League title going into the final day of the season; Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya were on top of the league with Al-Shorta in second and Al-Zawraa third. Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya were playing Al-Zawraa at the same time as Al-Shorta were playing Al-Sulaikh. Al-Shorta were 2–1 down to Al-Sulaikh before an 84th-minute goal from Mufeed Assem and a 91st-minute penalty kick from league top scorer Mahmoud Majeed earned a dramatic 3–2 victory, which was enough to overtake Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (who had drawn 1–1 with Al-Zawraa) and achieve their second Premier League title and first for eighteen years. In the process, Al-Shorta broke the Iraqi records for most consecutive wins in a league season (11) and most consecutive league games scored in (43).<ref name="SHR2">{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/AlShortaSC1932/status/1493286919828123648|title=Al-Shorta hold the two longest winning streaks in #IPFL history|publisher=Al-Shorta SC|date=14 February 2022|access-date=20 December 2023}}</ref><ref name="records">{{cite web|url=https://www.alshortasc.com/about-club/records|title=Al-Shorta: Club Records|publisher=Al-Shorta SC|access-date=22 March 2022|archive-date=16 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221016215137/https://www.alshortasc.com/about-club/records|url-status=live}}</ref> That season also saw them reach the quarter-finals of the Asian Cup Winners' Cup, earning wins over Al-Seeb and Bargh Shiraz before being eliminated in the quarter-final.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.asian-football.com/|title=8TH ASIAN CUP WINNER'S CUP|publisher=Asian Football Confederation|date=2 December 1998|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19981202092544/http://www.asian-football.com/ |archive-date=2 December 1998 }}</ref>
Al-Shorta reached the quarter-finals of the 1999–2000 Asian Club Championship before making history by becoming the first club to win the Umm al-Ma'arik Championship (later known as the Baghdad Championship) three times in a row, winning the trophy in the 2000–01, 2001–02 and 2002–03 seasons. They were also in the lead of the 2002–03 league competition before it was cancelled due to the Iraq War.<ref>{{cite web|title=الاتحاد العراقي المركزي لكرة القدم تعليمات ونشاطات الموسم الرياضي 2003-2004|url=https://forum.kooora.com/f.aspx?t=124550|date=25 September 2003|access-date=3 December 2020|archive-date=1 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210301042644/https://forum.kooora.com/f.aspx?t=124550|url-status=live}}</ref>
=== Post-war instability (2003–2012) === In April 2003, the club's former goalkeeper and captain Raad Hammoudi became Al-Shorta's president and saved the club from bankruptcy after the war.<ref>{{cite book|last=Freeman|first=Simon|date=1 August 2005|title=Baghdad FC: Iraq's Football Story|publisher=John Murray|isbn=9780719567940}}</ref> Al-Shorta participated in the 2003 edition of the Arab Club Champions Cup and the 2004 and 2005 editions of the AFC Champions League but were knocked out at the group stage each time.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://niiiis.com/r2004.html|title=الشرطة يختتم مبارياته اسيويا|publisher=NIIIIS.com|language=ar|access-date=20 December 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://niiiis.com/r2005.html|title=االشرطة في دوري ابطال اسيا|publisher=NIIIIS.com|language=ar|access-date=20 December 2023}}</ref>
Al-Shorta entered into an unstable post-war period, often dominating the initial group stage in the league (topping their Central Group in each of the 2005–06, 2006–07 and 2007–08 seasons) but failing to sustain their performance and exiting at the elite stage. The club's fortunes declined towards the end of the decade which culminated in a relegation battle in the 2010–11 campaign, with Amjad Kalaf's brace against Al-Naft on the last day of the season saving the club from relegation to the Iraqi First Division League for the first time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://futbol-com.ucoz.ru/blog/futbolnye_kluby_al_shurta_bagdad_irak_al_shorta_sc_ch_1/2013-05-29-157|title=Al-Shorta Pictures|publisher=futbol-com.ucoz.ru|date=9 January 2018|access-date=9 January 2019|archive-date=11 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191111233933/https://futbol-com.ucoz.ru/blog/futbolnye_kluby_al_shurta_bagdad_irak_al_shorta_sc_ch_1/2013-05-29-157|url-status=live}}</ref>
=== Golden era and dominance (2012–present) === {{football squad on pitch|align=right | GK = '''Hameed''' | RB = '''Salem''' | RCB = '''Awoa''' | LCB = '''Koulibaly''' | LB = '''Ismail''' | RM = '''Kalaf''' (C) | RCM = '''Fadhel''' | LCM = '''Abdul-Wahed''' | LM = '''Kamel''' | RCF = <abbr title="Hussein Karim">'''Karim'''</abbr> | LCF = '''Mubarak''' | caption = Starting line-up for 3–0 win against Al-Talaba which secured the 2012–13 league title. }} Al-Shorta returned to the top of Iraqi football in the 2012–13 season, securing their third Iraqi Premier League title with a final-day 3–0 victory over rivals Al-Talaba at Al-Shaab Stadium. Al-Shorta finished in first place in the Premier League in 2013–14 under Brazilian coach Lorival Santos but the season was ended prematurely due to the worsening war situation in the country. Al-Shorta also appeared in the 2014 AFC Champions League qualifiers, losing 1–0 to Al-Kuwait, which was followed by a group stage elimination at the 2014 AFC Cup and a round of 16 exit at the 2015 AFC Cup.
Al-Shorta won the Premier League title again in 2018–19, led by Montenegrin coach Nebojša Jovović, equalling the Iraqi record for most consecutive league games unbeaten (39) in the process.<ref>{{cite web|title=Officially Al-Naft's gift secures the title for Al-Shorta|url=https://www.goal.com/ar/%D8%A3%D8%AE%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1/%D8%B1%D8%B3%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%A7-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%86%D9%81%D8%B7-%D9%8A%D9%87%D8%AF%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D8%B1%D8%B7%D8%A9-%D9%84%D9%82%D8%A8-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%82%D9%8A/ywd3m8uqxbzi14hdow114u5gp|publisher=Goal.com|last=Mohammed|first=Bilal|language=ar|date=15 July 2019|access-date=24 May 2020|archive-date=2 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200802074124/https://www.goal.com/ar/%D8%A3%D8%AE%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1/%D8%B1%D8%B3%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%A7-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%86%D9%81%D8%B7-%D9%8A%D9%87%D8%AF%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D8%B1%D8%B7%D8%A9-%D9%84%D9%82%D8%A8-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%82%D9%8A/ywd3m8uqxbzi14hdow114u5gp|url-status=live}}</ref> Al-Shorta won the Iraqi Super Cup for the first time in 2019 with a penalty shootout win over Al-Zawraa, before reaching the quarter-finals of the 2019–20 Arab Club Champions Cup and being eliminated from the group stages of the 2020 and 2021 AFC Champions Leagues, the former on goal difference.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.goalzz.com/main.aspx?c=17735&stage=4|title=Mohammed VI Champions Cup 2019|publisher=Goalzz.com|access-date=23 May 2020|archive-date=25 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200725035900/https://www.goalzz.com/main.aspx?c=17735&stage=4|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="ahli">{{cite web|title=Iraq's Al Shorta stun former runners-up Al Ahli for maiden Asian Champions League win|url=https://www.beinsports.com/en/afc-champions-league/news/iraqs-al-shorta-stun-former-runners-up-al-ahl/1545814|website=beIN Sports|language=en|date=17 September 2020|access-date=3 December 2020|archive-date=26 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201126130555/https://www.beinsports.com/en/afc-champions-league/news/iraqs-al-shorta-stun-former-runners-up-al-ahl/1545814|url-status=live}}</ref>
Under the management of Egyptian coach Moamen Soliman, Al-Shorta enjoyed one of the best league seasons in their history in 2021–22. Al-Shorta set a record for the earliest Iraqi Premier League title win with seven rounds of the competition remaining, finishing a record 21 points clear at the top of the table, and became the first club to beat all other teams in a 20-team season and the first club to win all Baghdad derbies home and away in one season.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://forum.kooora.com/f.aspx?t=38725431|title= موسم الإنجاز وأرقام قياسية ... تفاصيل مباريات الشرطة في موسم 2021-2022|publisher=Kooora|date=9 July 2021|language=ar}}</ref> Their tally of 91 points equalled the record for the most points in a 38-game season in Iraq.<ref>{{cite web|title=Momen Soliman leads Al-Shorta to Iraqi Premier League title|url=https://www.kingfut.com/2022/05/18/momen-soliman-wins-league-with-al-shorta/|website=KingFut|language=en|date=18 May 2022|access-date=30 June 2022|archive-date=17 July 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220717083745/https://www.kingfut.com/2022/05/18/momen-soliman-wins-league-with-al-shorta/|url-status=live}}</ref> Al-Shorta went on to win the 2022 Iraqi Super Cup with a 1–0 victory over Al-Karkh,<ref>{{cite web|title=بالصور .. الشرطة يحصد لقب السوبر العراقي|url=https://www.kooora.com/?n=1177365&pg=1&o=n24751|website=Kooora|language=ar|date=2 October 2022|access-date=2 October 2022|archive-date=2 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221002193108/https://www.kooora.com/?n=1177365&pg=1&o=n24751|url-status=live}}</ref> and then retained their Iraqi Premier League crown by clinching the 2022–23 title in the penultimate round of the season.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.alaraby.co.uk/sport/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D8%B1%D8%B7%D8%A9-%D9%8A%D8%AD%D8%B3%D9%85-%D9%84%D9%82%D8%A8-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%82%D9%8A-%D9%84%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AB%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%8B|title=الشرطة يحسم لقب الدوري العراقي للمرة الثانية توالياً|publisher=alaraby.co.uk|language=ar|date=15 July 2023|access-date=15 July 2023}}</ref> Al-Shorta also reached the semi-finals of the 2023 Arab Club Champions Cup, defeating CS Sfaxien and Al-Sadd before losing 1–0 to Al-Nassr from a penalty scored by Cristiano Ronaldo.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.net/sport/2023/8/9/%D8%B4%D8%A7%D9%87%D8%AF-%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF%D9%88-%D9%8A%D9%82%D9%88%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%86%D8%B5%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D8%B9%D9%88%D8%AF%D9%8A-%D8%A5%D9%84%D9%89|title=شاهد- رونالدو يقود النصر السعودي إلى نهائي بطولة الأندية العربية|publisher=aljazeera.net|date=9 August 2023|language=ar}}</ref>
Al-Shorta were crowned champions of the 2023–24 Iraq Stars League, the first edition of the competition since it had been transformed into a professional league,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kooora.com/?n=1338862&o=n1000442|title=الشرطة بطلا لدوري نجوم العراق|language=ar|publisher=Kooora|date=4 July 2024}}</ref> and coupled that success with their first Iraq FA Cup title, beating Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 1–0 in the final to secure the domestic double for the first time.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://shafaq.com/ar/%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%80%D8%A7%D8%B6%D8%A9/%D9%84-%D9%88%D9%84-%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%AE%D9%87-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D8%B1%D8%B7%D8%A9-%D9%8A%D8%AA%D9%88%D8%AC-%D8%A8%D8%B7%D9%84%D8%A7-%D9%84%D9%83-%D8%B3-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%82-%D9%84%D9%83%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%AF%D9%85|title=لأول مرة في تاريخه.. الشرطة يتوج بطلاً لكأس العراق لكرة القدم|publisher=Shafaq|language=ar|date=10 July 2024}}</ref> Al-Shorta became the first club in Iraq to win four consecutive league championships when they clinched the title again in the 2024–25 season.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kooora.com/%D9%83%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D9%82%D8%AF%D9%85/%D8%A3%D8%AE%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1/%D8%B1%D9%82%D9%85-%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%AE%D9%8A-%D9%88%D9%85%D8%B4%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%83%D8%A9-%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A9--%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D8%B1%D8%B7%D8%A9-%D9%8A%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%81%D8%B8-%D8%A8%D9%84%D9%82%D8%A8-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%82%D9%8A/blt4ced89d7f4c4a6bd|title=الشرطة يحتفظ بلقب الدوري العراقي|language=ar|publisher=Kooora|date=20 June 2025}}</ref> The new Al-Shorta Stadium with a capacity of 10,089 seats was opened for its first match on 8 November 2025.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ashourland.net/2025/11/08/%D9%85%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%A8-%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%AF%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D8%B1%D8%B7%D8%A9-%D9%8A%D8%AD%D8%AA%D8%B6%D9%86-%D8%AC%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%87%D9%8A%D8%B1%D9%87-%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%AC%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%AF/|title=ملعب نادي الشرطة يحتضن جماهيره من جديد في حفل افتتاح مهيب بحضور وزيري الداخلية والشباب والرياضة|publisher=Ashour Land|date=8 November 2025|language=ar}}</ref>
==Emblem== [[File:Aliyat Al-Shorta logo.png|thumb|right|Al-Shorta's first logo was based on the logo of the Iraqi Police (pictured).]] Al-Shorta's first club crest was the same as the logo of the Iraqi Police, with the addition of the Olympic rings at the bottom alongside the club's name and the year 1978, which was the year of the club's formal establishment.<ref name="clubhistory"/> Al-Shorta began to wear a harp on their shirts in the 1992–93 season, after television presenter Majid Abdul-Haq coined the now-popular nickname ''Al-Qithara'' (The Harp) to refer to the club on his program ''Letter of the League'' by likening the team's attractive style of play to the tunes of a musical instrument.<ref>{{cite web|title=Al-Qithara nickname origins|url=https://www.facebook.com/alshorta.club/posts/758596317513185|website=Al-Shorta Facebook|language=ar|date=11 August 2014|access-date=23 April 2020|archive-date=2 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230502145053/https://www.facebook.com/login/?next=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Falshorta.club%2Fposts%2F758596317513185|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2002, laurel leaves were added either side of the harp on the shirt, and the Olympic rings were added underneath it.<ref name="clubhistory"/>
In 2005, Al-Shorta adopted a new emblem which was blue with a green outline, with a harp featuring in the centre of the crest along with the Iraq flag. Under the presidency of Raad Hammoudi, the club decided to recognise 1975 as its year of foundation, as this was the year in which the Police Games Directorate accepted the new clubs-only policy in Iraqi football and integrated its top players into Al-Shorta Sports Club which had been provisionally established along with the Iraqi National Clubs League a year prior. Thus, 1975 was written on either side of the logo in English and Arabic, and this remained the club's crest for the next seven years.
In 2012, the club's new administrative body decided to recognise 1932 as the club's year of foundation, as the club's origins date back to the football team that formed in 1932 and went on to compete in the Iraq Central FA Premier League. This came with a change to the club's logo in the form of a new white circular crest with a green outline, which contained the harp, laurel leaves and Olympic rings inside it along with the club's name and year of foundation at the bottom.<ref name="clubhistory"/>
On 12 December 2013, before the start of the 2014 AFC Champions League qualifying play-off, Al-Shorta announced the change to a new logo which was designed by Luay Abdul-Rahman, the artistic director of Al-Shorta's newspaper. The centre of the logo features a golden harp on a green and white backdrop, and the club's year of foundation and the Iraq flag feature at the top and bottom of the logo respectively. The club's name in English is displayed in a golden banner towards the bottom of the logo.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fifa.com/fifaplus/en/articles/striking-the-right-chord-the-enchanting-harp-emblem-of-al-shorta|title=Striking the right chord: The enchanting harp emblem of Al-Shorta|publisher=FIFA.com|date=28 July 2023}}</ref>
On 18 November 2020, the club revealed a brand new crest as part of a ceremony to celebrate its 88th anniversary. However, the logo change was abandoned after a negative reception from supporters.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.alsumaria.tv/Entertainment-News/364643/sports/%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%AF%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D8%B1%D8%B7%D8%A9-%D9%8A%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%86-%D8%B9%D9%86-%D8%B4%D8%B9%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%87-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%AF|title=نادي الشرطة يعلن عن شعاره الجديد|publisher=Al-Sumaria TV|language=ar|date=18 November 2020}}</ref>
==Kits== [[File:Amjad Kalaf in Al-Shorta kit after match with Al-Samawa, 26 April 2014.jpg|thumb|upright|right|Amjad Kalaf wearing Al-Shorta's home kit in the 2013–14 season.]] In 1958, the Al-Shorta Select XI had a yellow and brown kit,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://gpa.eastview.com/crl/mena/newspapers/iraq19581014-01.1.6 |title=Baghdad team draw with Syrian club |publisher=The Iraq Times |date=14 October 1958 |access-date=27 March 2022 |archive-date=2 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230502145039/https://gpa.eastview.com/crl/mena/?a=d&d=iraq19581014-01.1.6 |url-status=live }}</ref> and also had an all-white kit.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://gpa.eastview.com/crl/mena/newspapers/iraq19581016-01.1.6 |title=Syrian club unlucky not to defeat Police |publisher=The Iraq Times |date=16 October 1958 |access-date=27 March 2022 |archive-date=2 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230502145113/https://gpa.eastview.com/crl/mena/?a=d&d=iraq19581016-01.1.6 |url-status=live }}</ref> The team began to wear purple kits under the leadership of coach Mohammed Najeeb Kaban in the 1960s. Since 1978, Al-Shorta have mainly worn green home kits, white away kits and purple third kits,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/colours/iraq.html|title=Iraq Team Colours|last=Geraldes|first=Pablo Aro|website=RSSSF|date=17 July 2012|access-date=4 February 2023|archive-date=29 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220929235750/https://www.rsssf.org/colours/iraq.html|url-status=live}}</ref> with the exception of the 1983–84 season when they wore a black home shirt while playing under the name Qiwa Al-Amn Al-Dakhili (Internal Security Forces).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid086FCskHwtrroLbuJNhqfg7xfPHsi36G7jcmuQnPefpDgRT3hpUqxWcGVQp1vpwHel&id=1648630005423092|title=اللاعب وليد ثامر بقميص نادي قوى الامن الداخلي موسم 1983 - 1984|publisher=الدوري العراقي 1975 ــ 2003|language=ar|date=21 April 2021}}</ref>
Since the 2016–17 season, Al-Shorta have worn purple as the away kit colour rather than white. In August 2020, Al-Shorta launched their own clothing brand called ''Qitharah'' to manufacture kits and other apparel for the club,<ref>{{cite web|title=الشرطة يدشن تجهيزاته الرياضية الجديدة بماركة القيثارة|url=https://www.facebook.com/AlshortaSC1932/videos/981054682338954/|publisher=Al-Shorta SC|language=ar|date=21 August 2020|access-date=27 November 2022|archive-date=27 November 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221127011938/https://www.facebook.com/AlshortaSC1932/videos/981054682338954/|url-status=live}}</ref> which continued until August 2025 when the club signed a contract with kit manufacturer Kelme.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1384888712993992&set=a.386334426182764|title=نادي الشرطة يتعاقد مع شركة Kelme الإسبانية لتجهيز النادي في دوري أبطال اسيا النخبة ودوري أبطال اسيا .|last=Al-Bahadli|first=Hussein|date=19 August 2025|language=ar}}</ref>
===Shirt sponsors=== Al-Shorta's shirts have featured a number of different sponsors' logos over the years:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://s28.postimg.org/kvdeymq7x/shai_nasoor2.jpg|title=Photo 2 of Al-Shorta wearing Shai Mansour sponsored kit|publisher=Kooora.com|date=9 January 2017|access-date=9 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171214212633/https://s28.postimg.org/kvdeymq7x/shai_nasoor2.jpg|archive-date=14 December 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://s29.postimg.org/3xi9mlanb/339419389.jpg|title=Photo of Al-Shorta wearing Samsung sponsored kit|publisher=Kooora.com|date=9 January 2017|access-date=9 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171214213438/https://s29.postimg.org/3xi9mlanb/339419389.jpg|archive-date=14 December 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://s23.postimg.org/wp130im1n/shurtarayan2005a.jpg|title=Photo of Al-Shorta wearing Lay's sponsored kit|publisher=Kooora.com|date=9 January 2017|access-date=9 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171214213505/https://s23.postimg.org/wp130im1n/shurtarayan2005a.jpg|archive-date=14 December 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://s30.postimg.org/sp6kh8j75/shorta_2006_07.jpg|title=Photo of Al-Shorta wearing MTC-Vodafone sponsored kit|publisher=Kooora.com|date=9 January 2017|access-date=9 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171214213150/https://s30.postimg.org/sp6kh8j75/shorta_2006_07.jpg|archive-date=14 December 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |- !Period !Shirt sponsor |- |1995 |Abu Saif Markets |- |1998–1999 |Al-Mansour Tea |- |1999–2003 |Samsung |- |2003 |Peugeot |- |2003 |New Iraq Charitable Foundation |- |2005 |Motorola |- |2005–2006 |Lay's |- |2006 |Kotsons |- |2007 |MTC-Vodafone |- |2008 |Asia Cell (on front)<br />IraqCom (on back) |- |2014–2015 |Royal Arena Sport |}
==Supporters== [[File:Al-Shorta and Al-Diwaniya match at Al-Shaab Stadium, 16 January 2022.jpg|thumb|upright|right|Al-Shorta playing in front of their supporters at Al-Shaab Stadium in 2022.]] Al-Shorta are one of the most widely supported clubs in Iraq. In a poll conducted on the Asian Football Confederation's official website in 2020,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.the-afc.com/ar/club/afc_champions_league/news/%D8%A3%D9%83%D8%AB%D8%B1_%D8%A3%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%A9_%D9%83%D8%B1%D8%A9_%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%AF%D9%85_%D8%B4%D8%B9%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%A9_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%82.html|title=أكثر أندية كرة القدم شعبية: العراق|date=4 June 2020|publisher=The-AFC.com|language=ar}}</ref> Al-Shorta ranked as the second most popular club in Iraq behind rivals Al-Zawraa.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.alaraby.co.uk/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B2%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%AF%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%83%D8%AB%D8%B1-%D8%B4%D8%B9%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%83%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%82%D9%8A%D8%A9|title=الزوراء... النادي الأكثر شعبية في الكرة العراقية|publisher=Al-Araby|date=15 June 2020|language=ar}}</ref> Al-Shorta are also the second-most followed Iraqi club on both Facebook and Twitter,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/AlshortaSC1932|title=نادي الشرطة العراقي Iraqi alshorta Club|publisher=Al-Shorta SC (Facebook)|access-date=22 August 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://x.com/AlshortaSC1932|title=Al-Shorta SC|publisher=Al-Shorta SC (Twitter)|access-date=22 August 2025}}</ref> behind Al-Zawraa.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/alzawraasc|title=Al Zawraa SC نادي الزوراء|publisher=Al-Zawraa SC (Facebook)|access-date=22 August 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://x.com/alzawraasc|title=Al Zawraa SC نادي الزوراء|publisher=Al-Zawraa SC (Twitter)|access-date=22 August 2025}}</ref>
''Ultras Green Harp'' is an ultras group that was formed in 2012 at the start of the 2012–13 season and has grown to become one of Iraq's largest fan groups. It is a self-financed group that travels to both home and away matches across Iraq, providing flags and banners for fans to wave during the game. Before kickoff, the Ultras Green Harp members often hold up a large banner which can vary depending on the opposition.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://s24.postimg.org/wjlnupdrp/13329163_1099265063466384_834517920_n_jpg_ig_cac.jpg|title='REVENGE, This is Hell', Ultras Green Harp in Iraq|publisher=FenerFanatics|date=9 January 2017}}{{Dead link|date=September 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Another prominent fan group called ''Majaneen Al-Qithara'' was founded in 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.elbotola.com/article/2022-02-08-22-02-390.html|title=جماهير فريق الشرطة العراقي تُقدّم التعازي للمغاربة وأنصار الرجاء في وفاة الرّاحل ريان|publisher=El Botola|language=ar|date=8 February 2022}}</ref>
==Rivalries== {{main|Baghdad derbies}} Al-Shorta are one of the top four clubs in Baghdad along with Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, Al-Zawraa, and Al-Talaba; these four clubs together contest the Baghdad derbies.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.the-afc.com/en/more/news/greatest_asian_club_derbies_iraq.html|title=Greatest Asian Club Derbies: Iraq|publisher=Asian Football Confederation|date=21 February 2021|access-date=19 June 2023|archive-date=19 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230619223807/https://www.the-afc.com/en/more/news/greatest_asian_club_derbies_iraq.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The Baghdad derbies are often considered to be the most important games of a season and they are usually held at neutral venues such as Al-Shaab Stadium to accommodate a larger number of spectators.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iraqifs.com/?p=11433|title=A Large History: The Full Story of the Great Baghdad Derby with Facts and Figures|language=Arabic|publisher=Iraqi Sport Newspaper|date=9 February 2017|access-date=4 July 2018|archive-date=4 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180704213817/http://www.iraqifs.com/?p=11433|url-status=live}}</ref>
Al-Shorta's rivalry with Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya is the longest-standing, with its origins dating back to the 1930s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://almadapaper.net/Details/96557/%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%B3%D8%A8%D9%82-%D8%B5%D8%AD%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%AE%D9%8A-%D9%84%D9%80%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%AF%D9%89-%D8%AC%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%AF%D9%8A-%D8%A3%D9%88%D9%84-%D8%B5%D8%AD%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%82%D9%8A-%D9%83%D8%AA%D8%A8-%D9%86%D9%82%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%8B-%D8%B9%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%AA|title=Jalal Hamdi's Report on the Historical Prince Ghazi Cup|language=Arabic|publisher=Al-Mada Newspaper|date=3 December 2013|access-date=4 July 2018|archive-date=4 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180704213442/http://almadapaper.net/Details/96557/%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%B3%D8%A8%D9%82-%D8%B5%D8%AD%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%AE%D9%8A-%D9%84%D9%80%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%AF%D9%89-%D8%AC%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%AF%D9%8A-%D8%A3%D9%88%D9%84-%D8%B5%D8%AD%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%82%D9%8A-%D9%83%D8%AA%D8%A8-%D9%86%D9%82%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%8B-%D8%B9%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%AA|url-status=live}}</ref> Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya are also Al-Shorta's local rivals as the two clubs' stadiums are located within a short distance of each other on Falastin Street.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newarab.com/opinion/iraqi-football-club-90-minutes-away-making-history|title=Iraqi football club 90 minutes away from making history|publisher=The New Arab|date=5 November 2016}}</ref>
Al-Shorta also compete in the "Al-Dakhiliya derbies" with fellow Ministry of Interior clubs Al-Hudood and Aliyat Al-Shorta.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://almaalomah.me/news/52201/sports/%D8%B5%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D8%B1%D8%B7%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D8%AA%D9%81%D9%88%D9%82-%D8%A8%D8%A3%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%AD%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%A8%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%AE%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A9|title=صالات الشرطة تتفوق بأريحية في ديربي الداخلية|language=ar|date=3 January 2024|publisher=Almaalomah}}</ref>
==Stadiums== {{main|Al-Shorta Stadium (1990)|Al-Shorta Stadium}} [[File:Al-Shorta Stadium, Baghdad, 26 October 2012.jpg|thumb|right|The original Al-Shorta Stadium in 2012.]] In their early years, the Al-Shorta Select XI played their home matches on the playing field at the team's headquarters, located on what would become Falastin Street in the early 1960s. After the establishment of the Iraqi National Clubs League, the club played their home games at the Local Administration Stadium in Al-Mansour and later at Al-Furusiya Stadium owned by the Ministry of Interior.<ref name="clubhistory">{{cite web|url=https://www.alshortasc.com/about-club/history|title=Al-Shorta: Club History|publisher=Al-Shorta SC|access-date=22 March 2022|archive-date=16 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221016225415/https://www.alshortasc.com/about-club/history|url-status=live}}</ref>
In the 1980s, the club decided to build their own stadium at the club's headquarters, with construction of the four stands being overseen by club president Abdul-Qadir Zeinal and work being carried out by club workers and volunteers. The original Al-Shorta Stadium was opened for its first match on 23 December 1990 with Al-Shorta beating Al-Tijara 3–2. The stadium was able to hold 8,634 people, while the white hall on the side of the field (named the Abid Kadhim Hall in honour of former player and manager Abid Kadhim) can hold approximately 2,000 people.<ref name="clubhistory"/>
In the 2012–13 season, Al-Shorta announced plans to build a sports complex called Al-Shorta Sports City, which would include a new all-seater stadium. The complex was to be constructed by Swedish company Nordic Sport through its regional partner Nynord, along with Emirati company AKG Engineering.<ref name="akg">{{cite web|url=http://www.akg-eng.net/ongoing-projects.html|title=AKG Engineering - Ongoing Projects|publisher=AKG Engineering|date=9 January 2017|access-date=9 January 2017|archive-date=20 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220095050/http://www.akg-eng.net/ongoing-projects.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Börje Österberg, the owner of Nordic Sport, announced the initiation of construction of Al-Shorta Sports City on 16 December 2013,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://forum.kooora.com/f.aspx?t=33673051|title= حصريا/ رئيس إدارة شركات نوردك سبورت السويدية يعلن الشروع في بناء المدينة الرياضية لنادي الشرطة|language=ar|publisher=Kooora|date=16 December 2013|last=Al-Musawi|first=Amer}}</ref> and the club's existing stadium was demolished in March 2014.<ref name="clubhistory"/> Al-Shorta played their home matches at Al-Shaab Stadium while the new stadium was being constructed.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kooora.com/?n=1249963|title=ملعب الشعب ينقذ أندية بغداد من ورطة|language=ar|publisher=Kooora|date=24 June 2023}}</ref>
[[File:Al-Shorta Stadium (2025).jpg|thumb|right|The new Al-Shorta Stadium in 2025.]] On 7 January 2015, AKG Engineering released a video showing what the sports complex was expected to look like once construction is completed.<ref name="Sports City">{{cite web|url=https://www.alshortasc.com/about-club/stadium|title=ملعب النادي|publisher=Al-Shorta SC|language=ar|access-date=4 December 2022|archive-date=4 December 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221204035953/https://www.alshortasc.com/about-club/stadium|url-status=live}}</ref> The complex would include a new all-seater stadium with a capacity of 10,089, as well as a training ground with athletics tracks, a hotel, a club office, an indoor swimming pool with 1,500 seats, a multi-purpose closed hall with 2,500 seats, a full-quality recreation club (with sports facilities), restaurants, theatres and a shopping centre.<ref name="akg"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.akg-eng.net/news-18.html|title=The Ministry of Interior - Mr. Mohammed Salim Al-Ghabban visits Police Club Sports Complex Project|publisher=AKG Engineering|date=5 November 2015|access-date=9 January 2017|archive-date=21 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160821161838/http://www.akg-eng.net/news-18.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.recosport.com/ongoing-project/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210425155210/https://www.recosport.com/ongoing-project/|url-status=dead|archive-date=2021-04-25|title=Ongoing Project|publisher=Reco Sport|accessdate=25 April 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://nynord.com/project|title=Ongoing Project|publisher=Nynord|accessdate=22 November 2022|archive-date=22 November 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221122234006/https://nynord.com/project|url-status=live}}</ref>
Construction work on the sports complex was suspended in December 2015 before resuming in November 2022,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://akg-eng.net/news-22.html|title=Federal Ministry of Interior - Mr. Abdil Ameer Al-Shimmary received in his office AKG Engineering Chairman|publisher=AKG Engineering|date=22 November 2022}}</ref> however the project was scaled down to only include the all-seater stadium and the training ground. The new Al-Shorta Stadium was opened for its first match on 8 November 2025.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ina.iq/ar/sport/247486-.html|title=وزير الداخلية: مستمرون بدعم نادي الشرطة لتحقيق الألقاب المحلية والقارية|publisher=Iraqi News Agency|date=9 November 2025|language=ar}}</ref>
==Players== ===First-team squad=== {{updated|5 February 2026}} {{Fs start}} {{Fs player|no=1|nat=Iraq|name=Ahmed Basil|pos=GK|other=captain}} {{Fs player|no=2|nat=Iraq|name=Adam Rasheed|pos=DF}} {{Fs player|no=4|nat=Iraq|name=Manaf Younis|pos=DF}} {{Fs player|no=5|nat=Iraq|name=Rewan Amin|pos=MF}} {{Fs player|no=7|nat=Syria|name=Mahmoud Al-Mawas|pos=FW|other=vice-captain}} {{Fs player|no=8|nat=Senegal|name=Dominique Mendy|pos=MF}} {{Fs player|no=9|nat=Iraq|name=Hussein Ali|pos=MF}} {{Fs player|no=10|nat=Cameroon|name=Leonel Ateba|pos=FW}} {{Fs player|no=11|nat=Iraq|name=Bassam Shakir|pos=MF}} {{Fs player|no=13|nat=Algeria|name=Tarek Aggoun|pos=DF}} {{Fs player|no=14|nat=Niger|name=Abdoul Madjid Moumouni|pos=MF}} {{Fs player|no=15|nat=Iraq|name=Ahmed Yahya|pos=DF}} {{Fs player|no=16|nat=Iraq|name=Hassan Ahmed|pos=GK}} {{Fs mid}} {{Fs player|no=17|nat=Iraq|name=Ahmed Farhan|pos=FW}} {{Fs player|no=19|nat=Iraq|name=Salem Ahmed|pos=FW}} {{Fs player|no=20|nat=Tunisia|name=Mootez Zaddem|pos=MF}} {{Fs player|no=21|nat=Iraq|name=Shareef Abdul-Kadhim|pos=MF}} {{Fs player|no=22|nat=Iraq|name=Mohammed Karim|pos=GK}} {{Fs player|no=23|nat=Iraq|name=Mustafa Saadoon|pos=DF}} {{Fs player|no=24|nat=Iraq|name=Abbas Fadhel|pos=DF}} {{Fs player|no=25|nat=Iraq|name=Abdul-Razzaq Qasim|pos=MF}} {{Fs player|no=27|nat=Iraq|name=Ameer Sabah|pos=DF}} {{Fs player|no=28|nat=Iraq|name=Hussein Jabbar|pos=MF}} {{Fs player|no=30|nat=Syria|name=Fahd Al-Youssef|pos=MF}} {{Fs player|no=31|nat=Iraq|name=Atheer Salih|pos=MF}} {{Fs player|no=32|nat=Senegal|name=Bouly Sambou|pos=FW}} {{Fs end}}
===Out on loan=== {{Fs start}} {{Fs player|no=|nat=IRQ|pos=DF|name=Abdul-Khaliq Mohammed|other=on loan at Al-Qasim until the end of the 2025–26 season}} {{Fs player|no=|nat=IRQ|pos=FW|name=Abdullah Bassim|other=on loan at Al-Qasim until the end of the 2025–26 season}} {{Fs end}}
==Personnel==
===Technical staff=== {| class="toccolours" !bgcolor=silver|Position !bgcolor=silver|Name !bgcolor=silver|Nationality |- bgcolor=#eeeeee |Head coach:||Ahmed Salah||{{flagicon|Egypt}} |- |Assistant coach:||Ahmed Mnajed||{{flagicon|Iraq}} |- bgcolor=#eeeeee |Fitness coach:||Amir Alaa||{{flagicon|Iraq}} |- |Goalkeeping coach:||Akram Sabih||{{flagicon|Iraq}} |- bgcolor=#eeeeee |Physiotherapist:||Tonello Marilia||{{flagicon|Brazil}} |- |Team manager:||Hashim Ridha||{{flagicon|Iraq}} |- |}
===Management===
{| class="toccolours" !bgcolor=silver|Position !bgcolor=silver|Name !bgcolor=silver|Nationality |- bgcolor=#eeeeee |President:||Abdul-Halim Fahem||{{flagicon|Iraq}} |- |Vice-president:||Ali Al-Shahmani||{{flagicon|Iraq}} |- |- bgcolor=#eeeeee |Board secretary:||Alaa Bahar Al-Uloom||{{flagicon|Iraq}} |- |Financial secretary||Tahseen Al-Yassri||{{flagicon|Iraq}} |- |- bgcolor=#eeeeee |Member of the Board:||Uday Al-Rubaie||{{flagicon|Iraq}} |- |Member of the Board:||Abdul-Wahab Al-Taei||{{flagicon|Iraq}} |- |- bgcolor=#eeeeee |Member of the Board:||Ghalib Al-Zamili||{{flagicon|Iraq}} |- |Member of the Board:||Ihsan Ali||{{flagicon|Iraq}} |- |- bgcolor=#eeeeee |Member of the Board:||Mustafa Jabbar Alak||{{flagicon|Iraq}} |- |Member of the Board:||Hussein Subhan||{{flagicon|Iraq}} |- |}
==Managers== In 1958, the Al-Shorta Select XI appointed their first foreign manager in Palestinian coach Dennis Nasrawi. Since 1974, Al-Shorta have been coached by ten foreign managers from seven countries. The first of these was Yugoslavian coach Rajko Menista who took charge of Al-Shorta from 1982 to 1983.<ref name="Coaches"/>
Since 2013, Al-Shorta have hired two Brazilian managers (Lorival Santos and Marcos Paquetá), three Egyptian managers (Mohamed Youssef, Moamen Soliman and Mohamed Azima), one Jordanian manager (Haitham Al-Shboul as caretaker), one Montenegrin manager (Nebojša Jovović), one Serbian manager (Aleksandar Ilić) and one Tunisian manager (Chiheb Ellili). The rest of the club's managers throughout history have been of Iraqi nationality.<ref name="Coaches2"/>
===Notable managers=== The following managers won at least one major trophy when in charge of the team: {| class="wikitable" |- ! Name ! Period ! Trophies |- !colspan=3|Al-Shorta Select XI |- |{{flagicon|Iraq|1963}} Fahmi Al-Qaimaqchi |1951–1955, 1960–1966 |Iraq Central FA Premier League |- !colspan=3|Al-Shorta SC |- |{{flagicon|Iraq}} Douglas Aziz |1979–1982, 1983, 1987–1989, 1990–1991, 1993 |Iraq Stars League, Arab Club Champions Cup |- |{{flagicon|Iraq}} Abdelilah Abdul-Hameed |1997–1998, 2002–2003 |Iraq Stars League |- |{{flagicon|Iraq}} Ahmed Radhi |1999–2001 |Baghdad Championship |- |{{flagicon|Iraq}} Yassin Umal |2001–2002 |Baghdad Championship |- |{{flagicon|Iraq}} Basim Qasim |1994, 1996, 2002, 2003, 2011–2012 |Baghdad Championship |- |{{flagicon|Iraq}} Thair Jassam |2012–2013, 2015, 2018 |Iraq Stars League |- |{{flagicon|Montenegro}} Nebojša Jovović |2018–2019 |Iraq Stars League |- |{{flagicon|Serbia}} Aleksandar Ilić |2019–2020, 2020–2021 |Iraqi Super Cup |- |{{Flagicon|Egypt}} Moamen Soliman |2021–2023, 2024, 2025–2026 |Iraq Stars League (3), Iraq FA Cup, Iraqi Super Cup |- |{{Flagicon|Iraq}} Ahmed Salah |2018, 2019, 2023, 2024, 2026 |Iraq Stars League |- |}
==Honours== ===Major=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="font-size:95%; text-align:center;" !Type !Competition !Titles !Seasons |- !colspan=4|Al-Shorta SC |- |rowspan="4" | '''Domestic'''<br />(national) ! scope=row|Iraq Stars League |8 |align="left"|{{nowrap|1979–80}}, 1997–98, 2012–13, 2018–19, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25 |- ! scope=row|Iraq FA Cup |1 |align="left"|2023–24 |- ! scope=row|Iraqi Super Cup |2 |align="left"|2019, 2022 |- ! scope=row|Baghdad Championship |bgcolor="gold"|3{{sup|s}} |align="left"|2000–01, 2001–02, 2002–03 |- | '''International''' ! scope=row|Arab Club Champions Cup |1 |align="left"|1981–82 |- !colspan=4|Al-Shorta Select XI |- |rowspan="3" | '''Domestic'''<br />(regional) ! scope=row|Iraq Central FA Premier League |1 |align="left"|1962–63 |}
* {{legend|gold|record}} * {{sup|S}} shared record
===Minor=== thumb|right|Al-Shorta players with the Taha Al-Hashimi Cup that they won in 1938. {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="font-size:95%; text-align:center;" !Competition !Titles !Seasons |- !colspan=3|Al-Shorta SC |- ! scope=row|Baghdad Cup |1 |align="left"|2013 |- ! scope=row|Al-Quds International Championship |1 |align="left"|2002 |- ! scope=row|Baghdad Day Cup |1 |align="left"|2000 |- ! scope=row|Great Victory Championship |1 |align="left"|1996 |- ! scope=row|Al-Qadisiya Championship |1 |align="left"|1988 |- ! scope=row|President's Gold Cup |1 |align="left"|1983 |- !colspan=3|Al-Shorta Select XI |- ! scope=row|Republic Championship |2 |align="left"|1968, 1969 |- ! scope=row|Hilla Mutasarrif Cup |1 |align="left"|1957 |- ! scope=row|Al-Olympi Club Cup |1 |align="left"|1939 |- ! scope=row|Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Cup |1 |align="left"|1939 |- ! scope=row|Taha Al-Hashimi Cup |1 |align="left"|1938 |}
==Records== ===Matches=== [[File:Nashat Akram takes penalty against Zakho, 27 April 2013.jpg|thumb|right|Nashat Akram (pictured) scored a hat-trick in Al-Shorta's record league win on 18 October 2002 (8–0 against Duhok).]] ;Firsts * First match: Al-Lasilki 1–1 Al-Shorta, Prince Ghazi Cup, December 1932<ref name="ghazi"/> * First Central FA Premier League match: Al-Kuliya Al-Askariya Al-Malakiya 5–1 Al-Shorta Select XI, 5 November 1948<ref name="The Iraq Times"/><ref>{{cite web|title=Baghdad Football League is off to enthusiastic start|url=https://gpa.eastview.com/crl/mena/newspapers/iraq19481111-01.1.4|publisher=The Iraq Times|date=11 November 1948|access-date=28 July 2020|archive-date=28 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728072925/https://gpa.eastview.com/crl/mena/?a=d&d=iraq19481111-01.1.4|url-status=live}}</ref> * First FA Cup match: Al-Shorta Select XI w/o from Kuliyat Al-Huqooq, first round, January 1949<ref>{{cite web|title=Cup Fright for Bodyguard|url=https://gpa.eastview.com/crl/mena/newspapers/iraq19490224-01.1.4|publisher=The Iraq Times|date=24 February 1949|access-date=28 July 2020|archive-date=30 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200730180357/https://gpa.eastview.com/crl/mena/?a=d&d=iraq19490224-01.1.4|url-status=live}}</ref> * First National Clubs League match: Al-Muwasalat 3–0 Al-Shorta, 4 October 1974<ref name="naqil"/> * First competitive match at the original Al-Shorta Stadium: Al-Shorta 3–2 Al-Tijara, National Clubs League, 23 December 1990<ref name="history"/> * First competitive match at the new Al-Shorta Stadium: Al-Shorta 1–0 Zakho, Stars League, 4 January 2026<ref>{{cite web|url=https://shafaq.com/ar/%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%80%D8%A7%D8%B6%D8%A9/%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%8A-%D9%86%D8%AC%D9%88%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%82-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D8%B1%D8%B7%D8%A9-%D9%8A%D9%87%D8%B2%D9%85-%D8%B2%D8%A7%D8%AE%D9%88-%D9%88%D8%AF%D9%87%D9%88%D9%83-%D9%8A%D8%AA%D8%AC%D8%A7%D9%88%D8%B2-%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%A9-%D8%A8%D8%BA%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%AF|title=دوري نجوم العراق.. الشرطة يهزم زاخو ودهوك يتجاوز أمانة بغداد|publisher=Shafaq|date=4 January 2026|language=ar}}</ref>
;Wins * Record win: 11–0 against Al-Samawa, FA Cup round of 32, 16 November 1998<ref name="cup"/> * Record League win: 8–0 against Duhok, First Division League, 18 October 2002<ref name="league"/> * Record League qualifying win: 10–1 against Al-Hudood, 25 September 2000 * Record Baghdad Championship win: 7–1 against Salahaddin, group stage, 5 December 2000 * Record win in an AFC competition: 5–0 against Al-Wahda, Asian Club Championship second round, 18 November 1999 * Record win in an UAFA competition: 5–0 against FC Nouadhibou, Arab Club Champions Cup second round, 25 November 2019
;Defeats * Record defeat: 0–11 against Al-Naqil, National Clubs League, 12 October 1974<ref name="naqil"/> * Record FA Cup defeat: 0–4 ** against Al-Zawraa, quarter-final, 14 September 1978<ref>{{cite web|url=https://forum.kooora.com/f.aspx?t=37207912|title=Al-Zawraa Archival Encyclopedia - 1978/79 Season|publisher=Al-Zubadi|date=24 February 2018|access-date=21 May 2020|archive-date=25 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200725042118/https://forum.kooora.com/f.aspx?t=37207912|url-status=live}}</ref> ** against Al-Jaish, quarter-final, 15 September 1987<ref>{{cite web|url=https://niiiis.com/c87-88.html|title=بطولة الكأس 87-88|publisher=NIIIIS.com|access-date=20 August 2025|language=ar}}</ref> * Record Baghdad Championship defeat: 0–6 against Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, group stage, February 1996 * Record defeat in an AFC competition: 0–5 ** against Al-Hilal, AFC Champions League Elite league stage, 1 October 2024 ** against Al-Ahli, AFC Champions League Elite league stage, 22 December 2025 * Record defeat in an UAFA competition: 0–6 against Al-Shabab, Arab Club Champions Cup quarter-final, 23 December 2019
;Consecutive results * Record consecutive League wins: 11, Premier League, from 13 March 1998 to 22 May 1998 * Record consecutive League matches scored in: 43, Premier League, from 4 April 1997 to 13 November 1998 * Record consecutive League defeats: 6, Elite League, from 15 July 2012 to 10 August 2012 * Record consecutive League matches without a defeat: 39, Premier League, from 21 May 2018 to 23 May 2019<ref name="fifa">{{cite web|url=https://www.fifa.com/fifaplus/en/articles/how-al-shorta-became-an-unstoppable-force-in-iraqi-football|title=How Al-Shorta became an unstoppable force in Iraqi football|publisher=FIFA.com|date=28 July 2023}}</ref>
===Attendances=== * Highest attendance: 68,000, against Al-Zawraa at Al-Shaab Stadium, National Clubs League, 13 December 1991<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/SoccerIraq/status/1253643180555329537|title=Al-Zawraa 1-0 Al-Shorta at Al-Shaab Stadium - December 13, 1991|publisher=Soccer Iraq|date=24 April 2020|access-date=21 May 2020|archive-date=2 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502105139/https://twitter.com/SoccerIraq/status/1253643180555329537|url-status=live}}</ref>
===Appearances=== * Youngest first-team player: Mohanad Ali, 13 years, 279 days (against Al-Talaba, Premier League, 26 March 2014)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcHBaDvd4-A&t=5412 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211213/FcHBaDvd4-A |archive-date=2021-12-13 |url-status=live|title=Al-Talaba 1–2 Al-Shorta, 24 March 2014|publisher=WAAR TV|date=26 March 2014}}{{cbignore}}</ref> * First international cap while an Al-Shorta Select XI player: Ali Karim, for Iraq in 1957<ref>{{cite web|url=https://iraqsport.wordpress.com/2013/01/04/iraq-national-team-history-the-first-players-from-their-clubs-to-play-for-iraq/|title=Iraq national team history: The first players from their clubs to play for Iraq|last=Mubarak|first=Hassanin|date=4 January 2013|access-date=21 May 2020|archive-date=25 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200725044259/https://iraqsport.wordpress.com/2013/01/04/iraq-national-team-history-the-first-players-from-their-clubs-to-play-for-iraq/|url-status=live}}</ref> * Most international caps while an Al-Shorta player: Raad Hammoudi, 104 for Iraq<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/iraq-recintlp.html|title=Iraq - Record International Players|last=Mubarak|first=Hassanin|website=RSSSF|date=10 January 2020|access-date=4 February 2023|archive-date=14 December 2015|archive-url=https://archive.today/20151214112601/http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/iraq-recintlp.html|url-status=live}}</ref> * First players to play at the World Cup: Raad Hammoudi (starter) and Basim Qasim (substitute), for Iraq against Paraguay on 4 June 1986<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fifa.com/worldcup/archive/mexico1986/matches/match/628/#match-lineups|title=1986 FIFA World Cup Mexico™ Group Matches - Group B|publisher=FIFA|access-date=22 May 2020|archive-date=25 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200725044436/https://www.fifa.com/worldcup/archive/mexico1986/matches/match/628/#match-lineups|url-status=live}}</ref> * Most players in an Iraq starting line-up: 7 ** against Kuwait on 22 December 2014 ** against Bahrain on 23 December 2017 ** against United Arab Emirates on 29 November 2019<ref>{{cite web|url=https://agcff.com/en/2192/|title=Iraq continues with the victories in the Gulf|publisher=AGCFF|access-date=29 November 2019|archive-date=5 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191205142354/https://agcff.com/en/2192/|url-status=live}}</ref>
===Goals=== [[File:Younis Abid Ali.jpg|thumb|upright|right|Al-Shorta's Younis Abid Ali set a national record for the most goals scored in one league season (36) in 1993–94.]] * Most League goals in a season: Younis Abid Ali, 36 goals in the National Clubs League, 1993–94<ref>{{cite web|url=https://almadapaper.net/view.php?cat=68090|title=Stars in memory: Younis Abid Ali|publisher=Al-Mada Paper|date=17 April 2012|access-date=21 May 2020|archive-date=25 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200725043232/https://almadapaper.net/view.php?cat=68090|url-status=live}}</ref> * Most FA Cup goals in a season: Hashim Ridha, 14 goals, 1998–99<ref name="ridha">{{cite web|url=http://www.iraqsport.net/articles/html/041000-1.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010725180222/http://www.iraqsport.net/articles/html/041000-1.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=25 July 2001|title=Hashim Ridha Interview|publisher=Iraq Sport|last=Ibrahim|first=Mohammed|date=25 July 2001|access-date=21 May 2020}}</ref> * Most goals in one League match: Ahmed Khudhair, 5 goals (against Al-Kut, Elite League, 14 June 2001)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iraqsport.com/articles/03/Ahmed_Baggio.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030711040429/http://www.iraqsport.com/articles/03/Ahmed_Baggio.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=2003-07-11|title=Baggio lives on... in Iraq?|publisher=Iraq Sport|last=Mubarak|first=Hassanin|date=11 July 2003}}</ref> * Most goals in one FA Cup match: Saeed Nouri, 5 goals (against Salahaddin, 16 May 1989)<ref name="cup">{{cite web|url=http://www.almla3eb.com/archef/2565/pag4.html|title=Iraq FA Cup Statistics|publisher=Al-Mla3eb|access-date=22 May 2020|archive-date=15 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170215124927/http://www.almla3eb.com/archef/2565/pag4.html|url-status=live}}</ref> * Most goals in AFC and UAFA competitions: 5 ** Alaa Kadhim (3 in the Asian Cup Winners' Cup, 2 in the Asian Club Championship) ** Marwan Hussein (4 in the AFC Cup, 1 in the Arab Club Champions Cup) * First ever goalscorer: Abid Abtou (against Al-Lasilki, Prince Ghazi Cup, November 1932)<ref name="ghazi"/> * First National Clubs League top scorer: Zahrawi Jaber (1976–77) * Most League top scorer awards: Hashim Ridha, 2 (1998–99 and 2001–02)<ref name="ridha"/> * First foreign goalscorer: Innocent Awoa (against Al-Sinaa, Elite League, 20 October 2012) * First foreign hat-trick scorer: Jean Michel N'Lend (against Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, Elite League, 18 November 2012)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://iraqsport.wordpress.com/2012/11/18/al-shurta-striker-jean-michel-nlend-nets-hat-trick-in-baghdad-derby/|title=Al-Shurta striker Jean Michel N'Lend nets hat-trick in Baghdad Derby|last=Mubarak|first=Hassanin|date=18 November 2012|access-date=21 May 2020|archive-date=4 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180704214220/https://iraqsport.wordpress.com/2012/11/18/al-shurta-striker-jean-michel-nlend-nets-hat-trick-in-baghdad-derby/|url-status=live}}</ref> * First goalkeeper to score: Raad Hammoudi (against Al-Samawa, National Clubs League, 1975–76)<ref name="league">{{cite web|url=http://www.almla3eb.com/archef/2411/pag5.html|title=Iraqi League Statistics|publisher=Al-Mla3eb|access-date=22 May 2020}}{{Dead link|date=December 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> * Fastest goalscorer: 9.504 seconds, Alaa Abdul-Zahra (against Naft Al-Junoob, Premier League, 21 October 2018)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://almasalah.com/Ar/news/153748/%D8%B9%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D8%B9%D8%A8%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B2%D9%87%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D9%8A%D8%AF%D8%AE%D9%84-%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%AE-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%82%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%85%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%B2|title=Alaa Abdul Zahra enters the history of the Iraqi Premier League|publisher=Al-Masalah|date=22 October 2018|access-date=21 May 2020|archive-date=25 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200725041754/https://almasalah.com/Ar/news/153748/%D8%B9%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D8%B9%D8%A8%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B2%D9%87%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D9%8A%D8%AF%D8%AE%D9%84-%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%AE-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%82%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%85%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%B2|url-status=live}}</ref> * Most goals scored by Al-Shorta in one half of a match: 10 (against Al-Bahri, FA Cup round of 16, 14 December 1998)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://forum.kooora.com/f.aspx?t=12101995|title=Ten goals for Al-Shorta in one half|last=Al-Adhari|first=Mundher|date=23 September 2008|access-date=21 May 2020|archive-date=2 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230502145040/https://forum.kooora.com/f.aspx?t=12101995|url-status=live}}</ref>
====Top goalscorers==== :''Iraq Stars League (1974–present) matches only.''<ref name="records"/> {{updated|8 April 2026.}} {|class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;" |+ |- !# !Name !Goals ! scope="col" |{{Abbr|First year|First year at the club in the Iraq Stars League}} ! scope="col" |{{Abbr|Last year|Last year at the club in the Iraq Stars League}} |- |1 |style="text-align:left;" |{{flagicon|IRQ}} Younis Abid Ali |'''135''' |1983||1999 |- |2 |style="text-align:left;" |{{flagicon|IRQ}} Hashim Ridha |'''99''' |1998||2011 |- |3 |style="text-align:left;" |{{flagicon|IRQ}} Mohanad Ali |'''79''' |2014||2025 |- |4 |style="text-align:left;" |{{flagicon|IRQ}} Alaa Abdul-Zahra |'''78''' |2014||2024 |- |5 |style="text-align:left;" |{{flagicon|SYR}} '''Mahmoud Al-Mawas''' |'''74''' |2021||'''Present''' |- |rowspan=2|6 |style="text-align:left;" |{{flagicon|IRQ}} Ali Hussein Mahmoud |'''58'''{{efn|Two goals against Babil from the 1976–77 season are not counted as the results from the second half of the season were annulled.}} |1974||1983 |- |style="text-align:left;" |{{flagicon|IRQ}} Amjad Kalaf |'''58''' |2007||2016 |- |8 |style="text-align:left;" |{{flagicon|IRQ}} Saad Qais |'''45''' |1983||2001 |- |9 |style="text-align:left;" |{{flagicon|IRQ}} Faisal Aziz |'''42''' |1977||1989 |- |10 |style="text-align:left;" |{{flagicon|IRQ}} Mufeed Assem |'''41''' |1996||2003 |}
==See also== *Iraqi football clubs in Asian competitions * Al-Shorta SC (basketball)
== Notes and references == === Notes === {{notelist}}
=== References === {{Reflist|30em}}
==External links== *{{official website|https://www.alshortasc.com/}}
{{Al-Shorta SC}} {{Iraq Stars League}} {{Al-Shorta SC squad}} {{Arab Club Champions Cup winners}} Category:Al-Shorta SC Category:1932 establishments in Iraq Category:Association football clubs established in 1932 Category:Football clubs in Iraq Category:Football clubs in Baghdad Category:Police association football clubs