Al-Hamadi Set to Become 11th Town Player to Feature at World Cup Finals
Tuesday, 16th Jun 2026 10:12
Striker Ali Al-Hamadi looks set to become the 11th Town player to appear at a World Cup finals when Iraq face Norway in their opening group game in Boston this evening (KO 11pm).
Al-Hamadi, who spent last season on loan at Luton, is a regular starter for the Iraqis and appears a shoo-in to win his 21st full cap and will be aiming to add to his five international goals.
Following tonight’s match, they have games against France next Monday and Senegal four days later as they face a tough ask to reach the knockout stages.
The squad, which is coached by former Australia boss Graham Arnold, is based at the Greenbrier Sports Performance Centre in West Virginia during the tournament.
The most recent Blues player to feature at a World Cup was left-back Jonas Knudsen at the 2018 finals when he started and picked up an assist in Denmark’s round-of-16 on-penalties defeat to Croatia, following a 1-1 draw, in Russia.
The last Town player to score at a finals was Matt Holland, who smashed a brilliant equaliser in the Republic of Ireland’s 1-1 draw with Cameroon in 2002.
George Hirst is also at this summer’s finals with Scotland but is yet to appear having been an unused sub for Scotland in their 1-0 victory over Haiti.
The 10 players to have featured at previous World Cups while with Town: John Wark and Alan Brazil (Scotland), Mick Mills, Paul Mariner, Terry Butcher (all England), Bontcho Guentchev (Bulgaria), Holland (Republic of Ireland), Amir Karic (Slovenia), Tommy Smith (New Zealand, who is also at this summer’s finals) and Knudsen (Denmark).
John Elsworthy (Wales), George Burley (Scotland) and Bartosz Bialkowski (Poland) have been in squads for finals without playing, and in Elsworthy’s case in 1958, without travelling.
Photo: Reuters
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