By now, we have all seen the news of Somali FIFA referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan being denied entry to the United States for this summer’s World Cup, even after securing a visa and obtaining FIFA match credentials. The United States claims he was linked to some terror organizations. He would have been the first Somali to officiate a World Cup match, and it’s a piece of history we will not see this World Cup. But with his absence, Somalia will still be represented during the World Cup.
Enter winger Taha Abdi Ali, a member of the Sweden World Cup squad.
This Instagram post put me on to Ali, and the notable characteristic of his play is his need to utilize his speed, exploiting defenders with greed.
In other words, he is very fast:
Taha Abdi Ali has the potential to shine for Sweden and spotlight Somalia on the World Cup stage. No pressure!
Ali’s Background
Taha Abdi Ali’s inclusion in the World Cup squad may a surprise to some. He’s the second least capped player on Sweden with only two appearances (he just made his second appearance in a friendly against Greece last week after making his debut in January 2024). Additionally, he will be turning 28 next month, and normally outfield players in that age range would have, at least, double-digit national team appearances. The Somalian Swede, born in Spånga-Tensta, has spent his entire career in Sweden, beginning in the Norra Svealand (the fourth tier of Sweden professional football) and playing his way up to the Norra, Superettan, and Allsvenskan leagues (tier three, two, and one respectively). In between the tiered system, Ali played professional futsal for a year, representing the Swedish National team in six games. It’s not uncommon for professional football players to pursue futsal, but it appears it laid a foundation to his tremendous skills as a football player. Brazil legend Juninho Pernambucano has credited his free kick specialty to playing futsal as a youth.
Style of Play
It’s a curious selection by Sweden boss Graham Potter, selecting someone with only 1 appearance for the national team. It’s worth noting Potter selected an uncapped player to the World Cup squad as well. But I guess one should trust the English manager’s eye for Swedish football players, after having managed one of the clubs there for seven years. Either way, as someone who hasn’t seen Ali play a lot, from the highlights, he is refreshing. He takes on his player by utilizing his pace, and is skillful on the ball. It’s pure flair you infrequently see from wingers, as contemporary wingers are beholden to the manager’s system they play in, which in turn nullify or even entirely eradicate a player’s freedom of expression. This flair was once heralded during the early days of Cristiano Ronaldo and during Ronaldinho’s prime. Ali appears to be a gem in every seven of the word: his skillset and offering is aesthetically pleasing and rare in today’s football era.
Ali Analytics
Ali will get in the box, and the stats back it up. In matches for his club Malmö FF, Ali often has the most touches in the opposition box out of any player, even if he didn’t play the full match. He tends to also create chances. Along with his speed and directness, he knows where to position himself in the attacking third to retrieve the ball in dangerous areas. Coupled with his attacking strength, he also commits to tracking back (which is a prerequisite for wingers today, but he does it well). So far this season in the Allsvenskan, he leads all Malmö wingers in average recoveries per 90 minutes and is in the top 6 in the league of wingers with the most recoveries in 90 minutes.
In the couple of games he’s featured in the Sweden national team, his impact and objective is clear even though he may not be a 90 minute player. Similar to playing at Malmö, he is adept at positioning himself in the box. In his debut for Sweden against Estonia, he played 59 minutes, but had the second most touches in the opposition box. In the game against Greece last week, he had the most touches in the opposition box out of all Swedish players after only coming on as a 63rd minute substitute.
Observing a combination of the statistical outputs Ali consistently leads as well as his playing style, a player comparison that could give a football fan an idea of Ali’s play is Belgian winger Jérémy Doku.
Doku’s and Ali’s stats are pretty comparable. After analyzing Doku’s performance in the 2024/25 Premier League season, he averaged nearly 11 entries into the opposition box per 90 minutes—roughly 28% more than Ali’s 8.4. The recoveries are pretty similar, with Doku averaging around 3.75 per 90 minutes, with the Belgian winger edging Ali slightly. The most telling similarity is their style of play. As an avid watcher of the Premier League, I have seen Doku utilize his pace to run at and by his defender. He is one of the few wingers that play with flair, and his trademarked stationary standing-on-one-leg-and-flick-the-other-leg move (that’s the best I can describe it, but hopefully those who know Doku know what I’m describing). From the little I have seen of Ali, he has a similar ability. Although both threaten in attack, their offensive production is low, as Doku had three goals and six assists in 2024/25 whereas Ali had two goals and two assists in the 2025 Allsvenskan season.
It’s unfortunate that the lead up to this World Cup has been dominated by Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan’s ousting from the tournament by US Customs Border Protection. If this edition of the World Cup goes by tradition and showcases players that many overlooked, there could be another Enner Valencia, Robert Vittek, or Diego Forlan present among us. Taha Abdi Ali could be one of them, elevating the Swedish National team and providing visibility to Somalia.
Note: Featured image source is from YouTube channel Futball Karim (link)
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