 It replaced the regional competitions that were in place at the time such as the 1973–74 Iraq Central FA Cup which was only open to teams from central Iraq, including Baghdad.Al-Shaab Stadium was chosen by the Iraq FA to host the cup finals as it was able to accommodate the large number of spectators in the capital city.The first club to win the double was Al-Zawraa, winning the 1975–76 Iraqi National League and the 1975–76 Iraq FA Cup.