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 | ||
| Playing position | 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) | |
| National team | |||
| 2001–2002 | Iraq U19 | 8 | (4) |
| 2002–2004 | Iraq U23 | 33 | (21) |
| 2014 | Iraq Asian Games (OA) | 6 | (4) |
| 2002–2016 | Iraq | 148 | (57) |
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Younis Mahmoud Khalaf (born February 3, 1983) is a famous Iraqi former football player. He played as a forward, scoring many goals for the Iraq national football team. Many people think he is one of Iraq's best players ever. He was the captain of the national team for ten years.
Mahmoud also played for clubs in Iraq, UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. He won three "Golden Boot" awards in Qatar for being the top scorer. He scored his first big international goal in 2002, helping Iraq win the 2002 West Asian Football Federation Championship. In 2005, he scored again in the final of the Football at the 2005 West Asian Games, leading his team to another win.
In 2007, he had the best moment of his career. He led Iraq to win their first-ever 2007 AFC Asian Cup. He scored the winning goal in the final and was named the best player and top scorer of the tournament. He was even nominated for the Ballon d'Or award in 2007, a huge honor for a player outside Europe. 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 Iraq's most-capped player (most games played) and their third-highest goal scorer. He is also the only player to score in four different AFC Asian Cup tournaments in a row.
Contents
- Club Career Highlights
- International Career Achievements
- Personal Life
- Honours and Awards
- Images for kids
- See also
Club Career Highlights
Starting His Football Journey
Younis Mahmoud first played basketball as a shooting guard. His coach, Muwafaq Nouraddin, convinced him to switch to football. He joined a local team called Kahrabaa Al-Dibis in Iraq's fourth division. He quickly became a regular player for the team.
Playing for Kirkuk
In 1999, Mahmoud joined Kirkuk FC, one of Kirkuk's biggest teams. He scored his first league goal for Kirkuk in a 3–0 win. He also scored 19 goals in the second-tier league, helping Kirkuk get promoted back to the top division. Scouts from bigger clubs noticed his talent.
Success with Al-Talaba
Mahmoud's first game for Al-Talaba was a huge 8–0 win where he scored three goals. He won his first trophy with Al-Talaba in the 2001 Baghdad Day Cup. They also won their fifth league title and the Iraq FA Cup in the 2001–02 season. Mahmoud scored 13 league goals that season.
The next season, Al-Talaba won the Iraqi Super Cup. Mahmoud scored 13 league goals again before the league was stopped due to war. He also played for the Iraq Police team in the 2002 Arab Police Championship, which they won.
Moving to Al-Wahda
After the Iraq War started in 2003, Mahmoud moved to Al-Wahda in Abu Dhabi. He scored in the 2004 AFC Champions League. However, he had a disagreement with the coach and didn't play much after that.
Shining at Al-Khor
After the 2004 AFC Asian Cup, Mahmoud joined Al-Khor in Qatar. He scored 19 goals in his first season, making him the third-highest scorer in the league. In one amazing game, he scored six goals in an 8–0 win. He also scored the fastest goal in a league match, just 30 seconds after it started. Al-Khor won the Qatar Crown Prince Cup, with Mahmoud scoring two goals in the final.
In his second season, he scored 20 league goals, showing his consistent scoring ability.
Golden Years at Al-Gharafa
Mahmoud moved to Al-Gharafa in 2006 and stayed for five years. In his first season, he was the league's top scorer with 19 goals, winning his first Golden Boot award.
He helped Al-Gharafa win the Qatar Stars League title in 2007–08. He also won the Sheikh Jassim Cup that year.
Loan to Al-Arabi
In 2008, Mahmoud joined Al-Arabi on loan and won the Sheikh Jassim Cup with them.
Back to Al-Gharafa
Mahmoud returned to Al-Gharafa and helped them win another league title in 2008–09. They also won the Emir of Qatar Cup that year.
He won his third consecutive league title with Al-Gharafa in 2009–10, scoring 21 goals and winning the Golden Boot again. Al-Gharafa also won the Qatari Stars Cup and the Qatar Crown Prince Cup. In the 2010–11 season, Al-Gharafa finished second, and Mahmoud won his third Golden Boot award with 15 goals.
Time with Al-Wakrah
In 2011, Mahmoud signed with Al-Wakrah. He helped them win the Qatari Stars Cup in 2011–12. He scored 8 league goals in each of his two seasons with the club.
Winning with Al-Sadd
In February 2013, Mahmoud joined Al-Sadd. He scored two league goals and helped Al-Sadd win the Qatar Stars League title, his fourth league title in Qatar. He also scored in the finals of the Qatar Crown Prince Cup and the Emir of Qatar Cup.
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. He scored three goals in total for the club before his contract ended early.
Return to Iraq with Erbil
In February 2015, Mahmoud returned to Iraq to play for Erbil in the AFC Cup. He scored two goals in his debut match.
Final Season with Al-Talaba
On September 12, 2015, Mahmoud returned to his former club Al-Talaba. He was made captain and scored three goals in the 2015–16 Iraqi Premier League. At the end of that season, Younis Mahmoud announced his retirement from football.
Ballon d'Or Nomination
Younis Mahmoud is the only Iraqi player ever to be nominated for the prestigious Ballon d'Or award. He finished 29th in 2007. He was the only player on the list who did not play for a European club. He received more points than famous players like Samuel Eto'o and David Beckham.
International Career Achievements
In March 2002, Younis Mahmoud made his full international debut for Iraq. His first goal came in the final of the 2002 West Asian Football Federation Championship, helping Iraq win the game in extra time. He scored four goals against Bahrain and three goals against Malaysia in a 2004 AFC Asian Cup qualification match.
He was part of Iraq's team for the 2004 Summer Olympics. Iraq finished in fourth place, and Mahmoud scored one goal in the tournament. In 2005, 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 Football at the Asian Games, and Mahmoud scored three goals. He became the Iraq captain in 2006.
2007 was a fantastic year 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 title. Mahmoud was the top scorer and the Most Valuable Player of the tournament. He was also nominated for the Asian Footballer of the Year award and the Ballon d'Or.
He won his last trophy for Iraq, the 2009 UAE International Cup, in 2009. He also played in all three of Iraq's games in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup.
Mahmoud scored in his third consecutive Asian Cup tournament in 2011. He scored seven goals in the qualification for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, but Iraq did not qualify. In 2013, Iraq finished as runners-up 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 by scoring four goals in the qualifying rounds. In the 2014 Asian Games, he scored four goals as Iraq won the bronze medal. In the 2015 Asian Cup, Iraq finished fourth, and Mahmoud scored two goals. This made him the only player to score in four consecutive Asian Cup tournaments.
On March 28, 2015, Mahmoud became Iraq's most-capped player of all time (meaning he played the most games for his country). He continued to be a key player in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign, scoring four goals. He officially retired from international 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 football player.
Honours and Awards
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 National Team
- 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
- Premio internazionale Giacinto Facchetti: 2007
- Soccer Iraq Team of the Decade: 2010–2019
Images for kids
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Younis Mahmoud playing for Al-Wakrah in 2011.
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Younis Mahmoud playing for Al-Wakrah in 2011.
See also
In Spanish: Younis Mahmoud para niños
- List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
- List of men's footballers with 50 or more international goals
