Younis Mahmoud facts for kids
Mahmoud with Iraq in 2012
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Younis Mahmoud Khalaf | ||
| Date of birth | 3 February 1983 | ||
| 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) |
| 2008 | → Al-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) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Younis Mahmoud Khalaf (born on February 3, 1983) is a famous Iraqi former footballer. He played as a forward for the Iraq national team. Many people consider him one of Iraq's greatest players ever!
Mahmoud was the captain of the Iraqi team for ten years. He became a huge star in Asian football. He also played for many clubs in different leagues, like the Iraqi Premier League and the Qatar Stars League. He won three "Golden Boot" awards in Qatar for being the top scorer.
One of his most exciting moments was in 2002. He scored a goal in the last minute of the 2002 WAFF Championship final. This helped Iraq win the game in extra time! Three years later, he scored again in the final of the 2005 West Asian Games, leading his team to another win.
In 2007, Mahmoud had the best achievement of his career. He led Iraq to win the 2007 AFC Asian Cup, which was their first time ever winning this big tournament. He scored the winning goal in the final game. He also won the "Golden Boot" for being the top scorer and the "Most Valuable Player" award for the whole tournament. He was even nominated for the 2007 Ballon d'Or, a very important award for the world's best player. He was the only Iraqi player ever to be nominated!
Mahmoud played in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup and scored in the final of the Arabian Gulf Cup in 2013. He retired in 2016 as the player with the most games played for Iraq. He is also the only player to score in four different AFC Asian Cup tournaments in a row.
Playing for Clubs
Starting Out in Football
Younis Mahmoud actually started as a basketball player! He played for a team called Kahrabaa Al-Dibis. But his basketball coach, Muwafaq Nouraddin, told him to try football. There was more money in football in Iraq. So, Mahmoud switched to football and joined Kahrabaa Al-Dibis's football team. He quickly became a regular player.
Playing for Kirkuk
In 1999, Mahmoud joined Kirkuk FC, which was Kirkuk's biggest team. He scored his first league goal for Kirkuk in a 3–0 win. He helped Kirkuk get promoted back to the top division. Scouts from bigger teams noticed him, and he eventually joined Al-Talaba.
Time with Al-Talaba
Mahmoud's first game for Al-Talaba was against his old club, Kirkuk. Al-Talaba won 8–0, and Mahmoud scored three goals! He won his first trophy with Al-Talaba, the 2001 Baghdad Day Cup.
Al-Talaba won their fifth league title in the 2001–02 season, and Mahmoud scored 13 goals. They also won the Iraq FA Cup that year, completing a "double" (winning two major titles in one season). Mahmoud scored 6 goals in the cup and helped set up the winning goal in the final.
In the 2002–03 season, Al-Talaba won the 2002 Iraqi Perseverance Cup. Mahmoud scored 13 goals in the league before it was stopped because of the war. They won the Iraq FA Cup again.
While playing for Al-Talaba, Mahmoud also played for the Iraq Police team in the 2002 Arab Police Championship. His team won all their matches and took home the trophy.
Moving to Al-Wahda
When the Iraq War started in 2003, football in Iraq paused. Mahmoud moved to Abu Dhabi and joined Al-Wahda. He scored a goal in the 2004 AFC Champions League. However, he had a disagreement with the coach and didn't play much after that.
Success at Al-Khor
After the 2004 AFC Asian Cup, Mahmoud joined Al-Khor in Qatar. In the 2004–05 season, Al-Khor finished third, and Mahmoud scored 19 goals. He even broke three records in one game, scoring six goals in an 8–0 win! He scored two hat-tricks in one match and the fastest goal in the league (in 30 seconds).
Al-Khor won the Qatar Crown Prince Cup that year, with Mahmoud scoring four goals, including two in the final. In the 2005–06 season, he scored 20 league goals, showing how good he was at scoring.
Years with Al-Gharafa
In 2006, Mahmoud moved to Al-Gharafa and stayed there for five years. In his first season, he scored 19 goals and won his first "Golden Boot" award. Al-Gharafa finished second in the league.
He helped Al-Gharafa win the 2007 Sheikh Jassim Cup, scoring two goals in the final. In the 2007–08 season, Mahmoud won his first Qatar Stars League title with Al-Gharafa. He scored 16 league goals.
Loan to Al-Arabi
For a short time in 2008, Mahmoud played for Al-Arabi on loan. He helped them win the Sheikh Jassim Cup.
Back to Al-Gharafa
Mahmoud returned to Al-Gharafa and helped them win the league again in 2008–09. They also won the 2009 Emir of Qatar Cup, with Mahmoud scoring three goals.
He won a third league title in a row with Al-Gharafa in 2009–10, scoring 21 goals and winning the "Golden Boot" again. They also won the 2009 Qatari Stars Cup and the 2010 Qatar Crown Prince Cup.
In the 2010–11 season, Al-Gharafa finished second, but Mahmoud won the "Golden Boot" for the third time with 15 goals. They also won the 2011 Qatar Crown Prince Cup.
Playing for Al-Wakrah
In 2011, Mahmoud joined Al-Wakrah. He helped them win the 2011–12 Qatari Stars Cup, scoring a goal in the semi-final. He scored 8 league goals in his first season.
Time with Al-Sadd
In February 2013, Mahmoud joined Al-Sadd. He scored two league goals and helped Al-Sadd win the league, which was his fourth Qatar Stars League title! He also scored in the finals of the 2013 Qatar Crown Prince Cup and the 2013 Emir of Qatar Cup, though Al-Sadd lost both matches.
Short Spell at Al-Ahli
In September 2013, Mahmoud signed a short contract with Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia. He scored two goals in his first league game, a 5–1 win. He scored three goals in total for the club.
Return to Iraq with Erbil
In February 2015, Mahmoud returned to Iraq to play for Erbil, but only in AFC Cup games. He scored two goals in his debut match, but his team lost. Erbil was knocked out of the tournament early.
Final Club: Al-Talaba
In September 2015, Mahmoud went back to his former club, Al-Talaba. He was made captain and wore the number 9 shirt. He scored three goals in the 2015–16 Iraqi Premier League. At the end of that season, Mahmoud announced he was retiring from football.
Ballon d'Or Nomination
Younis Mahmoud is the only Iraqi player ever to be nominated for the prestigious Ballon d'Or award. This happened in 2007, and he finished in 29th place. He was the only player on the list who didn't play for a European club, and the only Asian player to get points. This shows how highly he was regarded around the world.
Playing for Iraq
Mahmoud made his first full international appearance for Iraq in July 2002. His first goal for Iraq was in the final of the 2002 WAFF Championship in the 89th minute. This goal sent the game into extra time, and Iraq won!
He scored four goals against Bahrain and three goals against Malaysia in qualifiers for the 2004 AFC Asian Cup. He also scored six goals for the Olympic team in a friendly cup, helping Iraq win the trophy.
Mahmoud helped Iraq qualify for the 2004 Olympic Games. In the Olympic finals, Iraq finished in 4th place, and Mahmoud scored one goal. He scored three goals in the 2005 West Asian Games, including one in the final, helping Iraq win the gold medal. In 2006, Iraq reached the final of the Asian Games, and Mahmoud scored three goals. He also became the captain of the Iraqi national team in 2006.
The year 2007 was amazing for Mahmoud. He scored four goals in the 2007 AFC Asian Cup, including the winning goal in the final. Iraq won their first-ever Asian Cup! Mahmoud won the top scorer award and the Most Valuable Player award for the tournament. He was also nominated for the Asian Footballer of the Year and the 2007 Ballon d'Or.
He won his last trophy with Iraq in 2009, the 2009 UAE International Cup. He also played in all three of Iraq's games in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup.
Mahmoud scored in his third straight Asian Cup tournament in 2011. He scored seven goals in the qualifiers for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, but Iraq didn't make it to the World Cup. In 2013, Iraq finished second in the 21st Arabian Gulf Cup, and Mahmoud scored two goals, including Iraq's only goal in the final.
He helped Iraq qualify for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup, scoring four goals in the qualifiers. He was one of the older players for Iraq in the 2014 Asian Games, scoring four goals and helping Iraq win the bronze medal. In the 2015 Asian Cup, Iraq finished 4th, and Mahmoud scored two goals. This made him the only player to score in four Asian Cup tournaments in a row!
In March 2015, Mahmoud became Iraq's most-capped player ever, meaning he had played the most games for his country. He continued to be a key player for Iraq in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, scoring four goals. He officially retired from football on August 23, 2016. Overall, Mahmoud scored 57 goals in 148 international matches for Iraq.
Personal Life
Younis Mahmoud is an Arab Sunni Muslim. His younger brother, Omar Mahmoud, is also a footballer.
Career Statistics
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iraq | 2002 | 5 | 1 |
| 2003 | 6 | 7 | |
| 2004 | 12 | 2 | |
| 2005 | 5 | 4 | |
| 2006 | 10 | 8 | |
| 2007 | 15 | 5 | |
| 2008 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2009 | 11 | 2 | |
| 2010 | 8 | 2 | |
| 2011 | 17 | 6 | |
| 2012 | 9 | 5 | |
| 2013 | 14 | 6 | |
| 2014 | 7 | 3 | |
| 2015 | 15 | 6 | |
| 2016 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 148 | 57 | |
Honours
Kirkuk
- Iraqi First Division League: 2000–01
Al-Talaba
- Iraqi Premier League: 2001–02
- Iraq FA Cup: 2001–02, 2002–03
- Iraqi Super Cup: 2002
Al-Khor
- Qatar Crown Prince Cup: 2005
Al-Gharafa
- Qatar Stars League: 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10
- Emir of Qatar Cup: 2009
- Qatar Crown Prince Cup: 2010, 2011
- Sheikh Jassim Cup: 2007
- Qatari Stars Cup: 2009
Al-Arabi
- Sheikh Jassim Cup: 2008
Al-Wakrah
- Qatari Stars Cup: 2011–12
Al-Sadd
- Qatar Stars League: 2012–13
Iraq
- WAFF Championship: 2002
- West Asian Games: 2005
- AFC Asian Cup: 2007
Individual Awards
- Qatar Stars League top scorer: 2006–07, 2009–10, 2010–11
- AFC Asian Cup most valuable player: 2007
- AFC Asian Cup joint top scorer: 2007
- Asian Footballer of the Year nominee (2nd place): 2007
- Ballon d'Or nominee (29th place): 2007
See also
In Spanish: Younis Mahmoud para niños
