Abstarct: This study aimed to examine the effect of ethical leadership on employees’ work engagement in sports organizations, considering the mediating role of job autonomy. The research method was descxriptive and survey-baxsed, and it was conducted as a field study with a cross-sectional design. The statistical population consisted of all employees working in the sports departments of Al-Anbar Province in Iraq. To determine the sample size, a minimum of two to a maximum of ten times the number of questionnaire items (29 items) was considered, and ultimately, 212 questionnaires were collected over a one-month period. Sampling was conducted using a convenience sampling method. Data collection and variable measurement were conducted using three instruments: The Ethical Leadership Questionnaire by Brown et al (2005), the Work Engagement Questionnaire by Rabiul and Yean (2021), and the Job Autonomy Questionnaire by Jung (1995). The validity of the instruments was confirmed through face, content, convergent, and discriminant validity, and reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha and composite reliability. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) with the partial least squares (PLS) approach via SPSS and Smart-PLS software. The findings indicated that ethical leadership had a significant effect on work engagement (T=9.35) and job autonomy (T=5.38). Additionally, the mediating role of job autonomy in the relationship between ethical leadership and work engagement was supported (T=3.423). The results suggest that when managers interact with employees baxsed on ethical principles such as fairness, honesty, and respect, an environment of trust and psychological safety is established. This environment fosters a sense of autonomy in employees, which in turn enhances intrinsic motivation, work energy, and ultimately their work engagement.