Ali Al-Hammadi returns to the forefront with the 'Lions of Mesopotamia' after a difficult period marred by injuries and bad luck that kept him from the image the audience awaited.

The challenges turned into a launching point: he worked silently and with determination despite the criticisms, overcoming the moment of expulsion against South Korea in Basra during the crucial Asian qualifiers, to quickly return and become one of Graham Arnold's mainstays in the front line.

After the final whistle, Al-Hammadi revealed an emotional human moment: 'I called my father from the field and I was crying.

I don't think people realize the extent of what we Iraqis have gone through. There is a reason we live outside the country. Our families had to leave for a better future. To return and bring joy to millions of Iraqis... this is why we love football. My family deserves this moment, my father deserves it, and all the Iraqi people deserve joy after all they have been through over the past years.'

Al-Hammadi returned to London after the international duty to join Luton Town, with his eyes set on raising his game for the remainder of the season, in line with his personal ambition and desire to continue his strong presence with the national team.

From the expulsion in Basra... to the goal in Monterrey and tears of joy for his father: the story of a striker who turned a setback into a launching pad, writing a new chapter for himself and Iraq in the narrative of returning to the World Cup.