Based on an analysis of 492 Facebook posts trending on December 31, 2024, Miqrab AI found that conversations in Iraq were dominated by the surprising outcome of the Gulf Cup semi-final, widespread New Year’s celebrations, and several high-profile political and criminal news stories. The victory of Oman’s national football team over Saudi Arabia generated significant engagement, with many Iraqis celebrating the result. Alongside festive posts wishing for a prosperous 2025, there were key political statements from figures like Muqtada al-Sadr and Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani. A controversial tweet from a Saudi artist praising Iraq also captured significant attention, while stories of a major gang arrest in Baghdad and a tragic family murder in Sadr City highlighted ongoing security concerns.

Today’s Top 10 Facebook Trends in Iraq:

1. Oman’s Victory Over Saudi Arabia in Gulf Cup Semi-Final

Iraqi Facebook pages widely celebrated the victory of the Omani national football team over Saudi Arabia in the Gulf Cup semi-final. Set Ashwaq um Alqanounia (Post Impact: 61%) highlighted that Oman managed to “crush” the Saudi team despite playing with only ten men from the first half. The same page also shared a humorous photo of an Omani defender celebrating with balloons after the match Set Ashwaq um Alqanounia (Post Impact: 73%). Analyst Haider Al-Hamdani (Post Impact: 37%) suggested that the match offered an important lesson for Iraq’s coach, Casas, on how to manage a game and win even when a player is sent off early, drawing a contrast with Iraq’s loss to Jordan when Aymen Hussein was red-carded.

2. Muqtada al-Sadr Issues a Statement on the New Year

A statement from the influential cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, posted on the social media platform X, was a major topic of discussion. The post was shared by his official page, Al-Maktab Al-Khas li-Samahat Al-Sayyid Muqtada Al-Sadr (Post Impact: 63%), which disseminated his message to a wide audience. The contents of the statement, released on December 31, 2024, were also shared by affiliated pages such as Saraya al-Salam – Directorate of Central Media (Post Impact: 5%), ensuring it reached his followers across different platforms. The posts did not elaborate on the content of the tweet but emphasized its release by Al-Sadr himself.

3. Saudi Actor Nasser Al-Qasabi’s Tweet on Iraq Trends

A tweet by prominent Saudi actor Nasser Al-Qasabi that mentioned Iraq garnered significant attention and positive reactions on Iraqi Facebook pages. Steven Nabil (Post Impact: 60%) shared a screenshot of the tweet, highlighting the actor’s words. The page Baghdad (Post Impact: 27%) also reported on the tweet, noting that it was “stirring controversy,” though the sentiment shared by Iraqi pages was largely appreciative of Al-Qasabi’s positive mention of the country.

4. Public New Year’s Celebrations Across Iraqi Cities

Numerous pages shared videos and images of Iraqis celebrating the arrival of 2025, showcasing a festive and hopeful atmosphere in major cities. The Baghdad (Post Impact: 35%) page posted a video of the capital “wearing a dress of joy” as families welcomed the new year. Similarly, Steven Nabil (Post Impact: 9%) shared photos of celebrations in Anbar province. In the north, the Mosul – MOSUL (Post Impact: 10%) page captured the moment the city entered the new year, while pages like Diyala Diyala TV (Post Impact: 7%) reported a large human presence on the Diyala corniche for the celebrations.

5. Crime Control Arrests Gang for One Billion Dinar Heist

The Baghdad Anti-Crime Directorate announced a major security achievement with the arrest of a gang that had stolen one billion Iraqi dinars and a Cadillac vehicle. A video report shared by the Directorate of Crime Control in Baghdad (Post Impact: 53%) detailed the operation, explaining that the gang members had impersonated security personnel to carry out the heist. The successful operation and the recovery of the stolen assets were presented as a significant victory for law enforcement in the capital, resonating strongly with the public as a key story about justice and security.

6. Younis Mahmoud’s “Laugh” Trends After Saudi Defeat

Following Saudi Arabia’s loss to Oman in the Gulf Cup, former Iraqi football star Younis Mahmoud became a trending topic on social media. The page Iraq 24 (Post Impact: 20%) asked its followers why he was trending. The context was provided by Yalla Yalla (Post Impact: 7%), which explained that the hashtag “Saudi is coming for the title” was being used mockingly alongside a famous image of Younis Mahmoud laughing. Iraqi fans interpreted the Saudi defeat as a vindication of Mahmoud’s earlier confident predictions, turning his smile into a widely shared meme celebrating the outcome of the match.

7. PM Al-Sudani Highlights Gov’t Achievements and Plans

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani’s activities and messages were prominent on his official channels. His page, Engineer Mohamed Shia Al Sudani (Post Impact: 30%), reported on a meeting to review strategic projects of the Ministry of Oil, emphasizing the government’s focus on the energy sector to boost state revenues. The Prime Minister’s Media Office also released an official New Year’s congratulatory message, published by The Media Office of the Iraqi Prime Minister (Post Impact: 20%). In it, Al-Sudani declared 2025 would be a “year of continuing achievements,” vowing to complete strategic projects and continue fighting corruption.

8. Murder of a Family Over Debt Shocks Sadr City

A horrific crime in Sadr City, Baghdad, where a woman allegedly murdered an entire family over a debt, drew widespread condemnation and shock. The page Akher Al-Ahdath Al-Iraqiya (Post Impact: 20%) reported the grim details, stating that the suspect, identified as “Farah,” killed a woman named “Sarah” and her children over a debt of 18 million dinars. It was alleged that the suspect and her husband then went to the victim’s home and killed the rest of the family. Nabdh Al-Iraq (Post Impact: 5%) also covered the “catastrophic crime,” sharing a photo of the father who returned home to find his wife, four children, and sister deceased.

9. Political and Security Leaders Extend New Year’s Greetings

In addition to public celebrations, Iraqi political and security leaders issued formal statements to mark the new year. The Media Office of the Iraqi Prime Minister (Post Impact: 20%) published a message from PM Al-Sudani hoping for continued security and stability. Similarly, Mohammed Al-Halbousi (Post Impact: 12%), President of the Taqaddum Party, shared photos of himself celebrating with residents in Anbar. The head of the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service, Lieutenant General Karim Al-Tamimi, also extended greetings on behalf of the service’s members, as posted by Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service Icts (Post Impact: 10%).

10. Dangers of Celebratory Gunfire During New Year’s Eve

Amid the festive atmosphere, some pages highlighted the dangers associated with celebratory gunfire, a recurring problem during holidays in Iraq. The page Iraq 24 (Post Impact: 9%) posted a sharp critique, asking, “#Why_the_shooting?!!?! Celebrate in a civilized way, does it have to be live bullets!!!” The tragic consequences of this practice were reported by Nafs Al-Iraq (Post Impact: 6%), which shared the news of a young child, born in 2019, being killed by a stray bullet during the New Year’s celebrations.