Opinions, analysis and commentary
Forty years is a long time to wait. When Ali Al-Hamadi headed in on the 10th minute against Bolivia in Monterrey on 31 March 2026, he didn’t just put Iraq ahead in a play-off; he started the process of ending a four-decade absence from the World Cup. Iraq is back, in Group I, against France, Norway, and Senegal. Al-Hamadi is their only Premier League player, their most recognisable attacker, and the forward on whom Graham Arnold’s system is built. This is why he matters.
Al-Hamadi was born in Maysan, Iraq, on 1 March 2002 and arrived in Toxteth, Liverpool, at the age of one. His father had been imprisoned for protesting against Saddam Hussein’s regime. The family fled through Jordan and reunited in the UK.
He played for Liverpool Schoolboys, joined Tranmere Rovers’ academy, and signed his first senior contract with Wycombe Wanderers in 2021. Stints at Bromley and AFC Wimbledon followed before Ipswich Town paid £2 million to sign him in January 2024. Ipswich won promotion to the Premier League that season. He went with them.
On 17 August 2024, Al-Hamadi came off the bench for Ipswich Town against Liverpool, becoming the first Iraqi footballer to appear in the Premier League, a milestone that meant as much to the Iraqi diaspora, estimated at three to five million people worldwide, as it did to him personally.
| Season | Club | Goals | Apps |
| 2022–23 | AFC Wimbledon | 10 | 19 |
| 2023–24 | AFC Wimbledon | 17 | 29 |
| 2023–24 | Ipswich Town | 4 | 14 |
| 2024–25 | Ipswich Town (PL) | 0 | 11 |
| 2024–25 | Stoke City (loan) | 2 | 15 |
| 2025–26 | Luton Town (loan) | 1 | 10 |
His goal in the 10th minute against Bolivia on 31 March 2026 put Iraq ahead in Monterrey. Bolivia equalised before half-time, but Aymen Hussein’s 53rd-minute header sealed a 2–1 win. Iraq was the 48th team in the tournament, back at the World Cup for the first time in 40 years.
Iraq is ranked 58th in the world. Their Group I opponents are France, 3rd in the world and two-time world champions, Norway (29th), back at the finals for the first time since 1998, and Senegal (19th), the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations winners. There is no easy game in this draw. Iraq exiting at the group stage would surprise no one.
Iraq played 21 qualifying matches to reach these finals, more than any other nation in the global process. The squad arrived in Mexico on a charter flight one week before the Bolivia decider, due to the travel disruption caused by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Qualifying through the most matches of any nation, under those conditions, is the context that makes Al-Hamadi’s Bolivia goal more than sport.
Graham Arnold’s Iraq relies on a direct, cross-heavy system that requires a forward capable of winning aerial duels, holding the ball up, and running in behind. Al-Hamadi fits that profile better than anyone else in the squad. His aerial presence, pace in behind, and comfort under defensive pressure give Iraq a counter-attacking threat Arnold can’t replicate elsewhere. Every chance Iraq creates against Norway, France, or Senegal will require a forward who can hold it, turn, and threaten.
He is Iraq’s only player with Premier League experience, which matters in a group where France and Norway will press hard. That exposure to high-intensity defensive organisation in the Championship and Premier League is not something most of Arnold’s squad have had; Al-Hamadi does. Among the diaspora-born players, including Zidane Iqbal and Ahmed Qasem, he is the senior presence, the one who has bridged both worlds the longest.
Iraq’s entire World Cup scoring record is one goal. Ahmed Radhi’s low shot against Belgium in Mexico in 1986, the only other time Iraq appeared at the finals, remains the solitary entry. Radhi died in 2020, having scored 62 international goals. Forty years later, Al-Hamadi carries the only realistic chance of adding to it.
The most realistic opportunity comes against Norway on 16 June in Boston. Norway were absent from the World Cup from 1998 until 2026, and while Erling Haaland gives them a formidable striker, their build-up can be disrupted by the physical, direct pressing that Arnold has built around Al-Hamadi. France on 22 June in Philadelphia and Senegal on 26 June in Toronto are steeper challenges.
Ali Al-Hamadi, Iraq FIFA World Cup 2026 is the story of a refugee family’s son becoming the face of a nation’s return to the biggest stage in football. Whether he scores or not, that story is already written.
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Is Ali Al-Hamadi the first Iraqi to play in the Premier League?
Yes, Al-Hamadi became the first Iraqi in the Premier League on 17 August 2024. He came off the bench against Liverpool for Ipswich Town, who had won promotion that season.
How many goals has Ali Al-Hamadi scored for Iraq?
Al-Hamadi has scored 4 goals in 16 senior international appearances for Iraq as of June 2026. That total includes the historic play-off goal against Bolivia on 31 March 2026.
What group is Iraq in at the 2026 World Cup?
Iraq is in Group I with France (3rd), Norway (29th), and Senegal (19th). Their matches are on 16 June vs Norway in Boston, 22 June vs France in Philadelphia, and 26 June vs Senegal in Toronto.
How did Iraq qualify for the 2026 World Cup?
Iraq beat Bolivia 2–1 in the inter-confederation play-off final in Monterrey on 31 March 2026. They played 21 qualifying matches in total, more than any other qualified nation, to reach the expanded 48-team tournament.
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