Based on an analysis of 443 trending Facebook posts by Miqrab AI on May 25, 2025, the primary narratives in Iraq centered on sports, domestic economic relief, and political accountability. European football news, particularly Kylian Mbappé’s achievements with Real Madrid, captured the highest engagement. Domestically, there was significant discussion around the government’s decision to issue an Eid bonus for social security retirees. Other key topics included controversy over the death of military college students, celebrations for Iraqi Engineer’s Day, and ongoing concerns about public services, such as electricity, which led to protests in Najaf.

Today’s Top 10 Facebook Trends in Iraq:

1. European Football News Captures High Engagement

Iraqi pages heavily covered European football news, with top engagement focused on Real Madrid and Barcelona. Al-Khuwa Al-Nadhifa (Post Impact: 96%) celebrated Kylian Mbappé winning the Golden Boot for the 2024-2025 season as the top scorer in Europe’s major leagues with 42 goals for Real Madrid. The same page also reported Barcelona’s 3-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao in the final round of the Spanish league. In a related post, Ahmad Mulla Talal (Post Impact: 55%) shared an image related to Real Madrid, known as “Al-Meringue,” asking his followers, “What awaits the Meringue 🤔”.

2. Eid Bonus Announced for Social Security Retirees

Multiple pages announced the disbursement of a financial bonus, or “Eidiya,” for social security retirees ahead of Eid al-Adha. Eyes of Iraq (Post Impact: 57%) and Diyala TV (Post Impact: 7%) both reported that a sum of 100,000 Iraqi dinars would be paid to each retiree. The news was shared as a positive development, providing financial relief to this segment of the population during the holiday period.

3. Deaths of Military College Students Spark Outcry

A developing story with high engagement revolved around the deaths of students at the Fourth Military College. Khabar Ajeal (Post Impact: 20%) reported a claim from the brother of a deceased student that six students had died, not two as was being officially stated. Other pages, including Ahmed Al-Thawaq (Post Impact: 4%) and Iraqi Media Center (Post Impact: 3%), cited the Parliamentary Security and Defense Committee, which blamed Lieutenant General Nasser Al-Ghannam for the incident, alleging he ordered the students to remain under the hot sun. Meanwhile, the official Iraqi Army Chief of Staff (Post Impact: 6%) page showed the Chief of Staff visiting the hospitalized students.

4. Nostalgic 1987 Photo of Medical Students Goes Viral

A single post generated exceptionally high engagement by sharing a nostalgic photograph from Iraq’s past. The page Baghdad (Post Impact: 100%) published a “commemorative photo of female medical students from the University of Baghdad in 1987.” This historical image resonated widely with the audience, prompting numerous comments and discussions reminiscing about a previous era in the country’s social and educational history.

5. Iraq Celebrates National Engineer’s Day

Iraqi Engineer’s Day was a major topic, with various pages marking the occasion. The Iraqi Engineers Syndicate – General Center (Post Impact: 10%) announced that Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al Sudani issued a formal letter of thanks to all engineers, a detail also shared by Diyala TV (Post Impact: 4%). In Basra, politician Mustafa Sanad (Post Impact: 23%) shared a video from an event where the local syndicate branch honored engineers, including retirees and the families of martyrs. The national syndicate also used the occasion to demand better enforcement of laws to create more jobs for young engineers.

6. Journalist Advocates for Man with Disabilities

Journalist Salem Mashkour highlighted the story of Haider Al-Baseer, a knowledgeable individual who faces societal prejudice due to his disability. In two separate posts, Salem Mashkour (Post Impact: 57%) and Salem Mashkour (Post Impact: 14%) shared clips from an interview with Al-Baseer, praising his “depth of knowledge” and calling on media outlets to utilize his talents. Mashkour urged for a societal shift, stating that “people of determination are like everyone else and may even surpass them, and they have the right to life and work just like others.”

7. Iraq Moves to Replace Iranian Gas with Gulf Gas

Several news-oriented pages reported on a significant development in Iraq’s energy sector. Baghdad’s Eyes (Post Impact: 21%) stated that Gulf gas would be used as an alternative to Iranian gas starting in mid-June to address the electricity crisis. Iraq 24 (Post Impact: 7%), citing the parliamentary energy committee, specified the date as June 15. The news was framed by Nafs Iraq (Post Impact: 4%) as “the news the Iraqi people have been waiting for for years.”

8. Protests Erupt in Najaf Over Power Outages and Poor Services

Public frustration over inadequate services boiled over into protests in Najaf province. The Baghdad (Post Impact: 7%) page reported that demonstrators protested the deterioration of services and lack of electricity, blocking the main road connecting Najaf to southern provinces. Similarly, Majid Saleem (Post Impact: 3%) shared a video showing confrontations and burning tires in the Al-Haidariya district of Najaf, attributing the unrest to the persistent power cuts.

9. Former Kuwaiti Minister’s Remarks on King Ghazi Spark Debate

A statement by former Kuwaiti minister Sami Al-Nisf regarding Iraqi-Kuwaiti history generated significant discussion. The page Min Baghdad (Post Impact: 21%) reported Al-Nisf’s claim that “Kuwait is 400 years old and when King Ghazi spoke of annexing it to Iraq, he was drunk!” This comment touched upon sensitive historical narratives between the two countries and drew considerable attention from Iraqi social media users.

10. Saraya al-Salam Announces Arrest of ISIS Suspects

The official media channel for Saraya al-Salam reported on recent security operations in the Samarra area. In one post, Saraya al-Salam – Central Media Directorate (Post Impact: 10%) announced the arrest of Ahmed Ali Mohammed, who was allegedly affiliated with the “ISIS terrorist organization.” In a separate announcement, the same page (Post Impact: 4%) reported capturing another individual, Salem Shaker Al-Hadidi, who was wanted under Article 4 of the anti-terrorism law. Both suspects were reportedly handed over to the authorities for legal proceedings.