In a humble house on the outskirts of Zakho, one small room has become an altar to the love of a football club. Its walls are covered in colors and photos, a mosaic of memories dedicated to Zakho Football Club. Images of Zakho SC players are everywhere, as are posters and small memorabilia that reflect devotion and loyalty. This is the room of Ammar, a young boy from Zakho whose love for his local team has become part of a global story.

Despite its humble beginnings, Ammar’s story is no less significant. It is part of a collective narrative of fanhood, love, and dedication. Like thousands of fellow supporters, Ammar’s contribution to Zakho SC winning FIFA’s Best Fan Award 2025 is priceless. Alongside countless devoted fans, he played a key part in a rare and historic achievement, which saw a Kurdish city emerge as the annual capital of world football culture.

From local devotion to global recognition

When news broke that Zakho had been shortlisted to win the prestigious award, Ammar waited patiently. When the official announcement finally came, images of Ammar and another young supporter, Nipal, appeared in posts shared widely across social media. From that moment on, their faces became symbols of Zakho SC, global representatives of a fan culture rooted in sincerity and loyalty.

For Ammar, a child with special needs, becoming the face of Zakho supporters worldwide made the achievement even more meaningful. Speaking to Kurdistan Chronicle, he said he is very happy that Zakho’s fans had reached the world stage of FIFA.

Ammar expressed his love for the club in simple, direct, and deeply touching words. His attachment is also visible beyond language: the walls of his room, covered in photos and posters of the team, express what words cannot. Being a fan is all about belonging. When asked how he felt after seeing his own image featured on Zakho’s official poster, Ammar paused briefly and responded simply: “Zakho is love.”

As Ammar explained, it was his mother who first showed him the poster, which features him alongside two other fans. She is the person who understands his signals better than anyone else in the household.

The stadium as home

Ammar attends every Zakho home match without exception. For him, the stadium is not merely a venue, but a space where sound, color, and emotion combine to create an iconic, joyous spectacle.

Ammar may not fully grasp the complexities of the adult world, let alone FIFA regulations, but his passion helped bring the unimaginable to life. He wanted Zakho to become the number one club in the world. And, in his own way, his dream came true. A child’s hope, rooted in attachment rather than calculation, can indeed change the world.

Zakho SC and the aspirations of a nation

That same attachment, shared by tens of thousands of fans from Zakho and beyond, propelled the club to its well-deserved place among football’s greatest supporters. According to the official results of the Best Fan Award 2025, Zakho SC fans secured first place with 13,380,932 votes. They finished ahead of Alejandro Siganotto, who received 7,387,581 votes, and Manolo “El del Bombo,” who placed third, with 3,908,323 votes.

Beyond the numbers, the achievement resonates deeply with the aspirations and dreams of the Kurdish people, who stood behind the club wholeheartedly. Zakho SC Media Officer Delzar Adnan told Kurdistan Chronicle that this success was a collective moment of pride: “Winning this title for our fans is a victory for Kurdistan.”

Adnan also highlighted the broader significance of the achievement, noting that it would encourage further development within the Kurdish sports movement. “Our fans’ loyalty will go beyond supporting their team to include defending humanitarian and environmental causes,” he said.

A local story of a steady rise 

Founded in 1987 in the city of Zakho, in the Duhok Governorate of the Kurdistan Region, Zakho SC is one of the region’s oldest football clubs and has long enjoyed a dedicated fan base. Over the decades, the club has risen steadily, competing in local and Iraqi competitions. Its winning spirit and determination have earned the respect – and sometimes the fear – of its rivals, while Zakho fans consistently dominate stadiums wherever the team plays. Their inspirational fan culture has even led the Iraqi Football Association to request Zakho SC’s support for the Iraqi national team in its quest towards the FIFA World Cup.

For Zakho, dominating locally, nationally, and now globally is a remarkable milestone in the cultural history of football in Kurdistan. For its supporters, this achievement only fuels further passion and dedication, compelling them to show up wherever their club plays. From now on, Zakho’s fans, known as the Zakho Guardians, stand ready to defend their club with the same intensity as supporters of world-famous teams. 

At the heart of this success, however, are fans like Ammar and Nipal. Their support – both local and transnational – places new expectations on players and managers to perform at an even higher level. Zakho’s success is particularly remarkable because it was achieved not through wealth or media power, but through numbers, persistence, and emotional authenticity.

When football belongs to the people

Through Ammar’s story, the achievement takes on a human face. It is no longer just about trophies, rankings, or institutional success for Zakho, but about visibility, belonging, and the quiet power of collective support. In a world often unaware of local teams, a child’s joy helped remind millions that football’s highest honor lies with its people. And in Zakho, that meaning can be summed up in three simple words, words now heard far beyond the stadium walls: Zakho is love.