1988–89 Iraqi National League
| Season | 1988–89 |
|---|---|
| Champions |
Al-Rasheed (3rd title) |
| Relegated |
Wahid Huzairan Al-Mosul Salahaddin Duhok Al-Sulaymaniyah Al-Nasr Diyala Al-Jamahir Babil Al-Diwaniya Al-Tijara Al-Minaa Al-Nasiriya Al-Samawa Al-Hurriya Al-Numaniya |
| Asian Club Championship | Al-Rasheed |
| Arab Club Champions Cup | Al-Tayaran |
| Arab Cup Winners' Cup | Al-Rasheed |
| Top goalscorer |
Karim Saddam (22 goals) |
|
← 1987–88 1989–90 → | |
The 1988–89 Iraqi National League was the 15th season of the competition since its foundation in 1974 and the first that was played in a group stage format rather than a round-robin format. Al-Rasheed won the title by defeating Al-Talaba on penalties in the final, to be become the first team of the Premier League era and the third team in Iraqi football history to win three league titles in a row. During this season, if a match ended in a draw, it would go to extra time and then penalties if necessary. A team would earn three points if they won a game by two goals or more (after normal or extra time). They would earn two points if they won a game by just one goal (after normal or extra time), and they would gain one point for winning a penalty shootout.
Group stage
North Group
| Team | Result |
| Erbil | Qualified to Elite Stage |
| Wahid Huzairan | |
| Al-Mosul | Relegated to Iraq Division 1 |
| Salahaddin | |
| Duhok | |
| Al-Sulaymaniyah |
Central Group
| Team | Result |
| Al-Najaf | Qualified to Elite Stage |
| Al-Nasr | |
| Diyala | Relegated to Iraq Division 1 |
| Al-Jamahir | |
| Babil | |
| Al-Diwaniya |
Baghdad Group
| Team | Result |
| Al-Zawraa | Qualified to Elite Stage |
| Al-Rasheed | |
| Al-Tayaran | |
| Al-Talaba | |
| Al-Shorta | |
| Al-Shabab | |
| Al-Sulaikh | |
| Al-Sinaa | |
| Al-Naft | |
| Al-Jaish | |
| Al-Tijara | Relegated to Iraq Division 1 |
South Group
| Team | Result |
| Al-Bahri | Qualified to Elite Stage |
| Al-Minaa | |
| Al-Nasiriya | Relegated to Iraq Division 1 |
| Al-Samawa | |
| Al-Hurriya | |
| Al-Numaniya |
Elite Stage
Group 1
| Team | Result |
| Al-Zawraa | Qualified to Elite Stage |
| Al-Talaba | |
| Erbil | |
| Al-Minaa | Relegated to Iraq Division 1 |
| Al-Nasr |
Group 2
| Team | Result |
| Al-Tayaran | Qualified to Elite Stage |
| Al-Rasheed | |
| Al-Najaf | |
| Al-Bahri | |
| Wahid Huzairan | Relegated to Iraq Division 1 |
Golden Stage
Semi-finals
3rd Place Match
Final
Al-Rasheed secured qualification to the 1989–90 Asian Club Championship, while Iraq FA Cup winners Al-Zawraa were admitted into the "Arab Cooperation Council Club Championship" (a friendly tournament). Iraq FA Cup runners-up Al-Tayaran were admitted into the 1989 Arab Club Champions Cup and league winners Al-Rasheed were admitted into the 1989 Arab Cup Winners' Cup.
Top goalscorers
| Pos | Scorer | Goals | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karim Saddam | Al-Zawraa | ||
| Natiq Hashim | Al-Tayaran | ||
| Hussein Saeed | Al-Talaba | ||
| Saad Abdul-Raheem | Al-Zawraa |