Former Iraqi President Salih meets national footballer Ali al-Hamadi in Baghdad

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Former Iraqi President Barham Salih held a symbolic meeting in Baghdad with national team footballer Ali al-Hamadi, who grew up as a refugee child before becoming one of the prominent figures in Iraq's World Cup qualifying campaign. The two discussed their contrasting experiences shaped by migration, perseverance and national identity. Salih, who himself spent years in exile before returning to Iraq and serving as president, exchanged views with the footballer on paths from displacement to public life. The meeting drew attention to the stories of Iraqis who have reached positions of achievement despite difficult circumstances. Both sides pointed to the contribution of Iraqi human capital in sport and politics as a national asset. No further details on the meeting were immediately available.