The Iraqi striker's journey from war-torn Maysan to the biggest stage in football is one of the tournament's most compelling stories
Ali al-Hamadi was barely a year old when his family fled Iraq. Now 24, the striker is preparing to help keep his country alive at a World Cup they waited four decades to reach.
Iraq faces Senegal on Friday in their final Group I match, and al-Hamadi will be central to whatever happens next.
From Maysan to Toxteth to the world stage
Born on March 1, 2002, in Maysan, a province in southeastern Iraq, al-Hamadi’s life changed before he could form memories of his birthplace. His family escaped to England in 2003, during the early stages of the Iraq War, settling in Toxteth, a district in Liverpool.
His football journey started modestly. He came through the ranks at Tranmere Rovers before moving to Ipswich Town, with a loan spell at Luton Town during the 2025-26 season filling out his development.
The goal that ended a 40-year wait
Iraq’s football history contains one of the sport’s great what-if stories. The country qualified for the 1986 World Cup in Mexico but hadn’t been back since.
Al-Hamadi wrote himself into Iraqi sporting folklore on March 31, 2026. In the intercontinental playoff against Bolivia, he scored the opening goal in what became a 2-1 victory. That single strike punched Iraq’s ticket to the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Heading into the Senegal match, al-Hamadi has accumulated 22 senior caps for Iraq and scored 5 international goals.
Friday’s match and what it means
Senegal presents a formidable challenge. They are one of Africa’s strongest footballing nations, with a squad stocked with players from Europe’s top leagues. Iraq, by contrast, relies on a mix of domestic-league players and lower-tier European professionals like al-Hamadi.
The 2026 tournament is Iraq’s first appearance in the competition since 1986. Iraq needs a result to extend their stay in the tournament, and al-Hamadi will be the one they look to for it.
