| Organising body | Iraq Football Association |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1991 |
| Abolished | 2004 |
| Region | Iraq |
| Number of teams | 8 (from 1994–95) |
| Last champions | Al-Zawraa (3rd title) |
| Most successful club(s) | Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Al-Shorta Al-Talaba Al-Zawraa (3 titles each) |
The Umm al-Ma'arik Championship (Arabic: بطولة أم المعارك, lit. 'Mother of all Battles Championship'), known as the Baghdad Championship (Arabic: بطولة بغداد) in its last edition, and also referred to as the Iraqi Elite Cup, was an annual football competition in men's domestic Iraqi football that was usually held at the beginning of each season. It was founded in the 1991–92 season, and its last edition was in the 2003–04 season.
The top eight teams of the previous Iraqi Premier League season entered the competition, with the exception of the first and third editions, where the top six teams of the league entered.[1] The teams were split into two groups, and the top two teams from each group advanced to the semi-finals. The winners would contest the final, and the losers would play for third place.
Although the tournament was one of the four major domestic trophies attainable by top-flight teams at the time, it was perceived by larger clubs as being of a lower priority to the league championship and the Iraq FA Cup. In the first edition, the winners received a 7k IQD prize money, while the runners-up received 5k IQD.[2] In the second edition, because of the economical changes that accrued on the dinar, the winners were given 150k IQD and the runners-up were given 100k IQD.[3]
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