Iraqi striker Ali al-Hamadi, the first Iraqi player to appear in the Premier League, will draw on his tough upbringing when Iraq faces Senegal in their final Group I World Cup match on Friday. The 24-year-old, who plays for Ipswich Town and is currently on loan at Luton, nearly scored against France in a 3-0 defeat earlier in the tournament.
Early Life and Escape from Iraq
Al-Hamadi was just one year old when his mother Asseel took him to Jordan during the second Gulf War in 2003. His father Ibrahim, an activist who opposed Saddam Hussein, was imprisoned and tortured. The family eventually reunited in England after his father's release through intervention by the Iraqi embassy.
"(My father) was an activist and part of a peaceful protest against the dictatorship within the nation," al-Hamadi told Swansea's website in 2019. "One day, he and other members of the group were raided and taken to prison. From there, they wrote to the Iraqi embassy in the UK explaining the situation and were subsequently released and ended up coming here."
Growing Up in Toxteth
Settling in Toxteth, Liverpool, the family faced poverty. "Some days we did not really have anything to eat, but my dad would bring as much as he could for us," al-Hamadi recalled. Despite hardships, he said, "It was always tough but I have happy memories because, regardless, my parents always tried to provide as much as they could for me."
Al-Hamadi also faced racial abuse at school and in football. "I was racially abused in school and got into a lot of fights," he told TheAsianGame.net in 2023. "In football too, during some academy games, I got called certain hurtful names. You just smile, be polite and stand up for yourself. I have accepted that I can't change other people's perceptions. Instead, I've always focused on how I can help myself and control my path."
Choosing Football Over Crime
In Toxteth, a neighborhood known for its boxing champion John Conteh and the 1981 riots, al-Hamadi faced the temptation of crime. "Around Toxteth, a lot of people get caught up in drugs and violence," he told Swansea's website. "There were times when I nearly dropped into it because of hanging around the wrong people, but I came through it."
He focused on football, playing street games with jumpers as goalposts. "I used to go out on the streets all the time and put two jumpers down as goalposts. It was always an escape from what was happening in the local area," he said.
International Success and World Cup
Al-Hamadi scored a memorable goal in Iraq's 2-1 World Cup play-off win over Bolivia. A goal against Senegal could strengthen his case for more Premier League playing time. "I feel like it's a special part of me that gives me an edge, a bit more hunger and a lot more perspective on things because of the sacrifices my family had to make," he said. "I always have that in the back of my mind."
