‘Lion of Mesopotamia’: How Aymen Hussein beat tragedy to reach World Cup

It has been a long, relentless travel to the World Cup for Iraq’s centre-forward Aymen Hussein, who propelled his state to the tourney for the archetypal clip successful 40 years erstwhile helium scored a winning extremity against Bolivia successful Mexico successful the qualifiers.

When helium was conscionable 12 and already playing shot for a section team, his begetter was brutally murdered portion buying materials to physique the household home.

A fewer years aft that, his older member was kidnapped, and helium has not been heard from since.

“I decided to discontinue playing shot to instrumentality attraction of my family, but my parent refused,” Hussein said successful an interview.

“She asked maine to proceed playing.”

His parent told him: “It is your dream. I cognize that. And you person to execute it.”

And helium has hung connected to that imagination ever since.

Iraq’s Aymen Hussein celebrates aft scoring the winning extremity against Bolivia astatine the FIFA World Cup – Inter-Confederation Playoffs Final astatine Estadio Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico, March 31, 2026 [Raquel Cunha/Reuters]

A convulsive legacy

Born successful 1996 successful the colony of al-Safra, successful al-Hawija territory successful north-central Iraq, Hussein grew up successful a household who made their surviving farming and raising sheep.

Tragedy struck successful 2008 erstwhile his father, a worker successful the Iraqi army, was killed by al-Qaeda, which controlled Kirkuk and the surrounding areas astatine the time.

“He went to bargain immoderate materials for our new, under-construction house. A fewer hours later, we received a telephone saying Your begetter has been killed and his assemblage is successful the hospital’.”

He had been fatally changeable successful the heart.

“We didn’t judge it astatine first. But past we went to the infirmary to find my father’s dormant assemblage lying there. It was a catastrophe to each of us.”

Hussein begged his household to determination distant from the village, but his older brother, who joined the Iraqi service aft his begetter was murdered, refused.

So, alternatively of fleeing, Hussein joined the Iraqi Youth shot team. It was connected his instrumentality from a grooming campy successful Turkiye a fewer years aboriginal that helium learned his member had disappeared – kidnapped during a play successful which ISIL (ISIS) had taken power of the area.

“We person heard thing astir him since,” helium says.

Aymen Hussein playing for Al Jazira during the ADIP Cup semifinal lucifer betwixt Sharjah FC and Al Jazira FC connected May 22, 2023, successful Sharjah, the United Arab Emirates [Francois Nel/Getty Images]

‘I was acceptable to play for free’

Amidst the tragedy, Hussein’s shot vocation was taking off.

In 2012, a turning constituent came erstwhile helium was scouted for the Dohuk shot club, 1 of the Iraq Stars League teams successful Iraq’s Kurdistan region.

Hussein signed a declaration for 18 cardinal Iraqi dinar ($14,000) and a monthly wage of 1.2 cardinal Iraqi dinar ($920).

“Honestly, I was acceptable to play for free,” helium recalls. “You whitethorn not ideate what it meant to maine to play with players from the Iraqi nationalist squad astatine that time. Playing with Dohuk was the imagination of my beingness astatine that time.”

Eighteen months later, helium moved to Baghdad to play for Iraq Stars League teams including Al-Shorta, Al-Talaba and Al-Zawraa, becoming the league’s apical scorer. Most recently, helium was contracted astatine Qatar’s Al Khor nine earlier moving backmost to Iraq to articulation Al Karma.

On a declaration worthy a reported $1m, helium has go Iraq’s astir costly footballer.

Through it all, Hussein says, his begetter and member person remained astatine the forefront of his mind.

“I person ever wished that my begetter and member were inactive live to spot what I person achieved and stock the moments of happiness.”

He recalls immoderate of the proudest moments helium wishes helium could person shared.

In 2016, helium scored the 2nd extremity successful other time, beating Qatar to the past Olympic qualifying spot for Asian nations astatine the Rio de Janeiro Games successful a third-place playoff lucifer astatine the AFC Under-23 Asian Cup Championship successful Doha.

In 2023, Aymen was recognised arsenic the apical scorer successful the 25th Arabian Gulf Cup. He netted 3 goals, which led his squad to triumph the cup.

In 2024, Hussein scored 1 of the 2 goals that enabled Iraq to suffice for the Paris Olympics with a 2-1 triumph implicit Indonesia successful the third-place playoff.

Jordan’s Yazan Al-Arab battles for possession with Iraq’s Aymen Hussein during the AFC Asian Cup lucifer betwixt Iraq and Jordan connected January 29, 2024, astatine Khalifa International Stadium successful Doha, Qatar [Lintao Zhang/Getty Images]

The lions roar

The past clip the Lions of Mesopotamia – arsenic Iraq’s nationalist squad is known – qualified for a World Cup was successful 1986, a decennary earlier Hussein was born.

Now, each eyes are connected him arsenic fans slope connected his information to instrumentality the squad arsenic acold done the tourney arsenic possible.

“Aymen is simply a sanction that needs nary introduction. His show speaks for him not lone successful Iraq, but successful the portion and Arab football,” Jalal Hassan, Iraqi goalkeeper and vice-captain, tells Al Jazeera.

“He is simply a high-quality striker. The squad volition perfectly request him, and his beingness volition marque the quality successful the World Cup. We are expecting a batch from him.”

Having been placed successful Group 9 with France, Senegal and Norway, Iraq faces stiff contention from the off.

Hussein Saeed, the erstwhile Iraq skipper and apical nationalist scorer with 78 goals nether his belt, is hopeful. “Aymen’s power is wide connected the squad and each players. He, arsenic a person, has a beauteous and humble personality,” Saeed tells Al Jazeera.

“I anticipation helium tin usage this affirmative trait to the payment of the squad successful the coming World Cup, taking the squad to the post-group stage.”

Zaid Alsaraj, an Iraqi shot journalist, says, “We each privation that our squad and each players, successful peculiar Abu Tubar [the “Hatchet Man”, arsenic Iraqis affectionately notation to Hussein], are afloat prepared mentally, physically and technically, erstwhile the clip comes.”

As for himself, Hussein says helium conscionable hopes that immoderate of the fans volition beryllium capable to be – though it volition beryllium tough.

“It is not casual to get a US visa. Actually, it is astir intolerable for Iraqis, particularly astatine this time, arsenic the US-Iranian warfare is inactive going on, ” Iraqi shot instrumentality Saif Al-Bayati tells Al Jazeera.

“This isn’t the lone issue. The terms of a azygous summons is much than $3,000. Going determination and spending astatine slightest 2 weeks volition outgo a fortune. It whitethorn beryllium much than $15,000. This is beyond the quality of immoderate mean Iraqi fan.”