Based on an analysis of 517 Facebook posts by Miqrab AI, the dominant narrative in Iraq on November 18, 2025, was the nationwide celebration following the national football team’s victory over the United Arab Emirates. This single event generated immense engagement across a wide spectrum of pages, from influencers and officials to news outlets and state institutions. Other significant conversations included political satire critiquing the recent elections, discussions surrounding post-election political meetings and alliances, and official government announcements concerning public employment and security matters. The content reflects a public sphere deeply engaged with national pride, political discourse, and everyday governance issues.<\/p>\n
The most dominant story on Facebook was the celebration of the Iraqi national football team’s 2-1 victory over the United Arab Emirates, securing its spot in the World Cup global playoff. Pages across the platform shared messages of joy and national pride. Influencer Mustafa Sanad – Mustafa Sanad<\/a> (Post Impact: 100%)<\/strong> shared a celebratory video with the caption, “Don’t mind the ‘Teka’ move, the win is what matters.”<\/em> Actor Aziz Nasser – Aziz Nasser<\/a> (Post Impact: 67%)<\/strong> posted that the win “made people happy and raised the morale of every lover of this country.”<\/em> News and community pages like Al-Khawa Al-Nadhifa (The Clean Brotherhood)<\/a> (Post Impact: 52%)<\/strong> reported the result, while former football star Younis Mahmoud – Younis Mahmoud<\/a> (Post Impact: 48%)<\/strong> and even the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service Icts<\/a> (Post Impact: 28%)<\/strong> shared congratulatory messages, showcasing the unifying effect of the victory.<\/p>\n Satirical content, particularly in the form of short video Reels, gained significant traction by offering critical and humorous commentary on Iraqi politics and the recent elections. Influencer Mustafa Sanad – Mustafa Sanad<\/a> (Post Impact: 60%)<\/strong> shared a clip appearing to mock a politician, writing, “Didn’t you ask to cut the clip and publish it after the elections? At your service, sir.”<\/em> The popular satirical program Al-Bashir Show – albasheer show<\/a> (Post Impact: 30%)<\/strong> and a second post by the Al-Bashir Show – albasheer show<\/a> (Post Impact: 20%)<\/strong> also posted episodes titled “Candidates’ results,” continuing their critique of the electoral process and its participants. These posts reflect a trend of using humor and short-form video to engage with and criticize the political establishment.<\/p>\n Clips from the social talk show “Al-Ghasala” (The Washing Machine), hosted by Qahtan Adnan, were widely shared, focusing on controversial social and cultural topics. The show’s official page, Al-Ghasala<\/a> (Post Impact: 73%)<\/strong>, posted a segment with the title, “The Iranian doctor tells her ‘I want to see you without clothes’.”<\/em> Another clip posted by the host, Al-I’lami Qahtan Adnan<\/a> (Post Impact: 13%)<\/strong>, discussed a fierce attack on artist Ihsan Da’doush for expressing condolences for Watban al-Tikriti. The high engagement with these clips indicates an audience interest in provocative interviews that tackle sensitive issues and public figures’ actions.<\/p>\n In response to the national football team’s crucial victory, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani’s office announced that the players would be officially honored. The page Maher Mouhi::Sawt Humat al-Watan<\/a> (Post Impact: 35%)<\/strong> reported that the Prime Minister directed the team to be honored “in a manner befitting their great achievement.” The Prime Minister’s official page, Al-Mohandes Mohamed Shia Al Sudani<\/a> (Post Impact: 24%)<\/strong>, confirmed this in a statement following a phone call with the head of the Iraqi Football Federation, Adnan Dirjal, promising continued government support to help the team reach the World Cup finals.<\/p>\n Following the recent elections, several pages reported on high-level meetings between key political figures to discuss the formation of the next government. The official page of Al-Mohandes Mohamed Shia Al Sudani<\/a> (Post Impact: 21%)<\/strong> shared details of his meeting with Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani in Duhok, where they emphasized cooperation and adherence to the constitution. Meanwhile, Mohammed al-Halbousi<\/a> (Post Impact: 13%)<\/strong>, head of the Taqadum Party, met with a delegation from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) to discuss “constitutional entitlements.” His party members, such as Dr. Nawar Asim<\/a> (Post Impact: 13%)<\/strong>, also celebrated their electoral results, signaling the start of negotiations for the upcoming political phase.<\/p>\n Beyond simple celebration, commentators used the national team’s victory as a lens to discuss broader themes of national unity, political failure, and Iraq’s international image. Journalist Ahmad Mulla Talal<\/a> (Post Impact: 31%)<\/strong> humorously suggested appointing players to top government positions, sarcastically writing, “I nominate Zidane Iqbal for Prime Minister… Arnold as leader of the Coordination Framework.”<\/em> On a more serious note, Steven Nabil<\/a> (Post Impact: 29%)<\/strong> reflected on how hosting the match showcased Iraq’s welcoming nature after the lifting of the football ban, noting that a strong Iraq is better for the region.<\/p>\n The Governor of Baghdad, Atwan Al-Atwani, was featured in posts announcing that government appointments for contract holders would commence soon. The official Baghdad Governorate Baghdad Govermente<\/a> (Post Impact: 20%)<\/strong> page shared a video of the governor stating that those covered by the decision would be distributed among the governorate’s departments to utilize their skills. This news, also reported by pages like the Iraqi Media Center<\/a> (Post Impact: 5%)<\/strong>, addresses a significant public concern regarding employment and job security.<\/p>\n Clips from the television show “Qit Ahmar” (Red Cat), hosted by Ahmed Waheed, were another trending topic. The show appears to focus on social commentary and dramatic skits. Ahmed Waheed – Ahmed Waheed<\/a> (Post Impact: 24%)<\/strong> posted a clip with the hashtag #\u0642\u0637_\u0627\u062d\u0645\u0631 and the caption, “I want her to resemble Tayba, but not be Tayba.”<\/em> Another post from Ahmed Waheed – Ahmed Waheed<\/a> (Post Impact: 20%)<\/strong> was titled “Getting over session,”<\/em> suggesting themes of relationships and social dynamics are central to the program’s content being shared online.<\/p>\n The Sadrist movement was active on Facebook, issuing two separate official directives. The Private Office of Sayyid Muqtada al-Sadr<\/a> (Post Impact: 18%)<\/strong> announced that Muqtada al-Sadr had authorized the establishment of “Al-Sadr family guesthouses” in several foreign countries. In a separate announcement, the Saraya al-Salam – Central Media Directorate<\/a> (Post Impact: 10%)<\/strong> declared the expulsion of six named individuals from its ranks in the Diyala region, instructing all members to boycott them.<\/p>\n Commentator Rusly Al-Maliki discussed US foreign policy towards Saudi Arabia in two related posts. One Rusly Al-Maliki – Rusly Al-Maliki<\/a> (Post Impact: 7%)<\/strong> post featured a video of the White House reception for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, noting, “For many years, the American presidency has not received a visitor with this level of ceremony.”<\/em> A second post by Rusly Al-Maliki – Rusly Al-Maliki<\/a> (Post Impact: 5%)<\/strong> contrasted this warm reception with Washington’s rejection of Iranian investments, suggesting that the US approach is guided by politics as much as by economics.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Based on an analysis of 517 Facebook posts by Miqrab AI, the dominant narrative in Iraq on November 18, 2025, was the nationwide celebration following the national football team’s victory over the United Arab Emirates. This single event generated immense engagement across a wide spectrum of pages, from influencers and officials to news outlets and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7620,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[70,73,78],"tags":[82,52,81,84],"class_list":["post-7619","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-facebook","category-iraq","category-daily","tag-daily-reports","tag-iraq-daily-social-media-trends","tag-iraq-public-opinion","tag-trending-facebook"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t2. Satirical Reels Critique Politics and Elections<\/h2>\n
3. Clips from “Al-Ghasala” Show Spark Social Discussion<\/h2>\n
4. PM Sudani Pledges to Honor National Football Team<\/h2>\n
5. Post-Election Political Meetings and Alliance Talks<\/h2>\n
6. Commentators Link Football Win to National Pride and Politics<\/h2>\n
7. Baghdad Governor Promises to Activate Contract Appointments<\/h2>\n
8. Clips from “Red Cat” (Qit Ahmar) TV Show Trend Online<\/h2>\n
9. Sadrist Movement Issues Official Directives<\/h2>\n
10. Commentary on US-Saudi Arabia Relations<\/h2>\n