Somali-Origin Players Competing in the 2026 World Cup

Somali-Origin Players Competing in the 2026 World Cup

Somalia has never qualified for the World Cup, but this year's tournament in North America will feature players of various backgrounds carrying Somali heritage on the field. Although they represent other countries, the Somali youth and the entire Somali community will look at these players with a sense of brotherhood.

The Qatar team will have two players of Somali descent competing this year. The first is Akram Afif, born in the capital Doha to a Somali father and a Yemeni mother. Afif is a key player in the Qatar team's attack, which they heavily rely on.

At 29 years old, he has spent his club career at Al Sadd, except for earlier stints on loan in Spain and Belgium. He played a crucial role in the Qatar team's victories in the Asian Cup, scoring three penalty goals in their 3-1 win over Jordan in the final last February 2024.

He also played a decisive role in the qualifiers for the World Cup. His free kick was headed in by Boualem Khoukhi during the match they won 2-1 against the United Arab Emirates last October, which was Qatar's first qualification for the World Cup after hosting the tournament in 2022.

The second player is Yusuf Abdurisag, who also plays as a forward for Qatar. He was born in Somalia and is 26 years old.

He came through the Al Sadd academy and is currently on loan at Al-Wakrah. He was included in the 26-player list representing Qatar in this tournament, chosen by coach Julen Lopetegui at the beginning of June. He played when Qatar defended the Asian Cup title and is known for creating direct attacks from the right side.

Qatar will play their first match in Group B against Switzerland in Santa Clara on Saturday, followed by matches against Canada in Vancouver and Bosnia-Herzegovina in Seattle.

Taha Ali is also among the players of Somali descent competing in the World Cup. He was born in Stockholm to Somali parents and played futsal six years ago, as well as lower-tier football.

He moved through the teams of Sollentuna, Örebro, and Helsingborg before signing with Malmö FF in January 2023, where he helped the team win the Allsvenskan championship in November of that year.

Graham Potter called up the 27-year-old, adding him to the Sweden squad on May 12, having only played one match for the national team, which was a friendly against Estonia in January 2024. Potter chose him over two La Liga players, Williot Swedberg and Roony Bardghji, a decision that sparked significant media analysis in Sweden.

Taha Ali partially responded to those questions during the last friendly match against Greece, coming on as a substitute to assist in scoring Sweden's second goal in a match that ended 2-2.