Who Can Break Ahmed Radhi's Record in the World Cup!

The late Ahmed Radhi remains a shining symbol in the memory of Iraqi football, as he is the only player who left a scoring mark for the Lions of Mesopotamia in the World Cup finals. His famous goal against Belgium during the group stage of the 1986 Mexico World Cup is still Iraq's only goal in the history of the tournament.

Today, with Iraq returning to the World Cup through the 2026 gateway, this record is at stake. In the upcoming group stage against France, Norway, and Senegal, a new generation will have the opportunity to write their name alongside the legend, should any of the national team's strikers succeed in scoring.

The opportunity seems ripe for Iraq's strikers to surpass Ahmed Radhi's legacy, most notably Ayman Hussein, nicknamed 'the big man.' Ayman has proven to be a player for major occasions, having scored 5 goals in the 2023 Asian Cup in Qatar and left his mark with two goals in the 2024 Paris Olympics against Ukraine and Argentina. This record makes him the closest to being the first Iraqi to score in the World Cup after Radhi, especially with his primary role in Graham Arnold's plans.

The second name is Mohannad Ali, who had an impressive season with the UAE's Dibba Al-Fujairah and was one of the standout stars in the World Cup qualifying playoffs, scoring a crucial goal in the second leg. Arnold relies heavily on him due to his ability to penetrate from the center and his aerial prowess thanks to his high leap inside the box, qualities that could make a difference against the defenses of France and Norway.

Following them is Ali Youssef, the current Al-Talaba and former Al-Zawraa striker, who considers himself the most influenced by Ahmed Radhi's personality. He even celebrated in one of his matches with Al-Zawraa in the same way as the late legend, which earned him the affection of the Al-Nawaris fans. Youssef will seek to make the most of any minutes Arnold grants him in the World Cup to place his name alongside his idol in Iraq's World Cup scoring records.

Ahmed Radhi did not stop at the World Cup goal; two years after Mexico 86, he was crowned the Best Player in Asia in 1988, becoming the first Iraqi to receive this honor and confirming his status as one of the continent's brightest stars. He concluded his international career with 62 goals in 121 matches wearing the national team's jersey.