between Iraq and Kuwait in Baghdad, where the match referee was attacked by enraged home fans and members of the Iraqi team after the Malaysian official's decision to award a match-changing penalty to the Kuwaitis that led to Iraq losing 3–2. The ban was lifted in 1982. Around the same time, the Iran–Iraq War started and the ban was imposed again. Iraq played their qualifying home games at a neutral venue and still qualified for the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, and three Olympic Games (Moscow, Los Angeles and Seoul). The ban was lifted in 1988, when the war ended. When the Gulf War broke out in 1990, FIFA banned Iraq from hosting matches again until 1995. Iraq played at home at the 1998 World Cup qualifiers and 2002 World Cup qualifiers. Post-2003 The Iraq War in 2003 forced Iraq to play their home matches outside the country for security reasons, and so home games were held at neutral venues for the 2006 World Cup qualifiers, 2007 Asian Cup qualifiers and 2010 World Cup qualifiers. In July 2009, Iraq played on home soil for the first time since the Iraq War, against Palestine in Erbil and Baghdad. The same month, the AFC Executive Committee approved the Franso Hariri Stadium as Iraq's venue for international matches and for clubs in continental tournaments. On 23 July 2011, Iraq played a FIFA World Cup qualifier on home ground for the first time since 2001, defeating Yemen 2–0 at Franso Hariri Stadium in Erbil. However, FIFA re-imposed the ban on 23 September 2011 due to fears over security and a breach of safety regulations in the qualifying match with Jordan. Between 2013 and 2018, Iraq played various friendlies on home soil – in 2013 against Syria and Liberia in Baghdad, and in 2017 against Jordan, Kenya and Syria in Basra and Karbala. After successfully hosting these friendlies, on 16 March 2018, FIFA announced the lifting of the ban on competitive matches in the three cities. The 2018 AFC Cup Final was hosted in Basra, and in the summer of 2019, Iraq hosted the 2019 WAFF Championship. However, following the outbreak of the 2019 Iraqi protests, FIFA once again imposed competitive home matches ban on Iraq. This meant that Iraq played the 2022 World Cup qualifiers at neutral venues. The ban was briefly lifted before being re-imposed following the 2022 Erbil missile attacks. In 2023,