The center forward grew up in England and could have also been called up by the Three Lions, but he didn’t consider alternative solutions
Ali Al-Hamadi is not “only” the center forward of Iraq who will challenge Norway in their debut at the World Cup, but also the symbol of a country that wants to put its past behind it to build a different future. He did it and at the Boston Stadium he hopes to shout it out to the whole world, perhaps by scoring a goal. His is one of those stories that is worth telling because it combines the love of football with the suffering of a family forced to leave Iraq where the father ended up in prison (and was tortured) for his opposition to Saddam Hussein. Alì is the face of a generation of Iraqis who grew up far from their homeland but remained deeply attached to it. A story of love…Worldwide.