The 2026 FIFA World Cup has brought a series of historic changes in the organization and format of the competition. For the first time, the tournament will be played in three countries — Canada, the United States, and Mexico — and 48 national teams will participate in the final stage. Among the footballers who play at the World Cup for different national teams are also players whose life stories have been marked by war, persecution, and refuge.
Such stories are carried by the following footballers:

• Alphonso Boyle Davies (player of Bayern Munich and the Canadian national team) – Born in a refugee camp in Ghana, in a family of Liberian refugees who fled the civil war in their country, Alphonso Davies knows from personal experience what it means to be a refugee. Alphonso and his family moved to Canada when he was five years old. Despite the difficult start in life, thanks to dedication and discipline he became a professional footballer at only 15. Just one year later he debuted for Canada and became its youngest player in history.
• Antonio Rüdiger (player of Real Madrid and the German national team) – Born in Berlin, after his family fled the civil war in Sierra Leone and found refuge in Germany. Escaping conflict, family members walked hundreds of kilometers to Freetown, and to protect children from rebels who forcibly recruited them into armed groups, they hid them in rice sacks and sometimes pretended to be dead to avoid abduction or death. Rüdiger grew up in Berlin’s Neukölln district, in a community where many migrants and refugees lived. As he often emphasizes, this experience taught him solidarity, perseverance, and the importance of giving opportunities to people forced to leave their homes. Today he is one of Germany’s best footballers and a two-time Champions League winner, using his popularity and influence to speak about refugee experiences and the importance of safety and opportunity.
• Ali Al-Hamadi (player of Ipswich Town and the Iraqi national team) – Born in Maysan, southeastern Iraq. Al-Hamadi was only one year old when, at the beginning of the Iraq war in 2003, he left the country with his mother Asil and through Jordan reached the United Kingdom. In Britain they reunited with his father Ibrahim, who had earlier been forced into exile after being imprisoned by Saddam Hussein’s regime. His father had participated in peaceful protests against the dictatorship and was arrested for that. After being released, Ibrahim was granted refugee status in the UK and began living in Liverpool, where the family later joined him. Al-Hamadi grew up in Toxteth, one of Liverpool’s poorest areas, where football became his escape from difficult circumstances. He built his career through youth clubs Tranmere Rovers and Swansea, and progressed at AFC Wimbledon, where he scored 27 goals. Good performances brought him a transfer to Ipswich Town, where he became the first Iraqi to play in the English Premier League.
• Eduardo Camavinga (player of Real Madrid and former French national team player) – Born in a refugee camp in Angola, in a family that fled war in the Democratic Republic of Congo. His parents, Celestin and Sofia, left the country due to armed conflict and before his birth ended up in a camp in Miconge. When he was two, the family moved to France, first to Lille, then to Fougères in Brittany. His childhood was marked by many difficulties. Like many migrant families, his parents struggled to rebuild a stable life, while Camavinga grew up in modest conditions. He began his football career at local club Drapeau-Fougères. At 16 he debuted for Rennes in Ligue 1, soon becoming one of the youngest and most prominent players in France. In 2021 he moved to Real Madrid, where he continued his rapid rise and won many trophies, including La Liga and the Champions League. At the same time he became a French international, debuting as a teenager and playing in the 2022 World Cup final. Camavinga is today recognized as one of the most talented midfielders of his generation, and as an example of an athlete whose upbringing in a refugee family shaped his resilience, discipline, and outlook on life.
• Mohamed Toure (player of Norwich City and the Australian national team) – With his family he spent 14 years as a refugee in Guinea after fleeing war in Liberia. He was born in Conakry, the capital of Guinea, where the family lived for years with UNHCR support before resettling in Australia and starting a new life. Mohamed grew up with his brothers Al Hassan and Musa playing football with other refugee children in Adelaide, among them Nestory Irankunda and Awer Mabil.
• Nestory Irankunda (player of Watford and the Australian national team) – Born in Tanzania, in a family of refugees from Burundi who fled civil unrest. He grew up in Adelaide. His football talent quickly stood out, and in 2021 he signed a scholarship contract with Adelaide United, beginning his professional path. He debuted for Australia in 2024, soon becoming one of the youngest scorers in Socceroos history. Since then his career has steadily risen, and today he is considered one of Australia’s most talented young footballers.
• Awer Mabil (player of Castellón and the Australian national team) – Born in Kenya after his parents fled Sudan’s civil war. He spent early childhood in Kakuma refugee camp, where he first fell in love with football. Like many children in the camp, he played with makeshift balls made of socks and plastic bags. After arriving with his family in Adelaide in 2006, he continued training in local clubs before signing with Adelaide United and becoming one of the youngest debutants in the club’s history. Later he played for Australia at the World Cup in Qatar, and at the 2026 World Cup he is again part of the Socceroos as a forward. Off the field, Mabil is dedicated to community work. In 2023 he was named Young Australian of the Year for his humanitarian engagement.
• Bernard Kamungo (player of FC Dallas and the U.S. national team) – Born in Nyarugusu refugee camp in Tanzania, where his parents lived after fleeing the Democratic Republic of Congo. He spent his childhood in the camp, in conditions without basic infrastructure, marked by uncertainty and limited access to basic needs. In 2016, with support from the International Rescue Committee, Kamungo and his family — his parents and five siblings — resettled in the United States, in Abilene, Texas. For the first time they had a stable home, access to education, and enough food. Coming to the U.S. was a turning point in his life. Although at first he did not speak English and had to adapt to a new environment, football remained his constant and the space where he developed and found stability. The decisive moment in his career came when he got the chance to play for North Texas SC, the development team of FC Dallas.
• Ermedin Demirović (player of Stuttgart and the Bosnian national team) – Born in Hamburg in a family from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Although he did not directly experience war, he emphasizes in interviews that Bosnia, through family memories and visits, left a strong mark on his identity. During childhood visits to Bosnia he first saw the consequences of conflict. The wartime past of his family and experiences from Bosnia shaped his attitude toward his origins and the responsibility he feels when wearing the national jersey. He built his career in Germany (Hamburger SV, RB Leipzig), Spain, Switzerland, and Germany again. After playing for Germany’s youth teams, since 2021 he has played for Bosnia and Herzegovina.

These stories show how finding safe refuge created the chance for a secure life and successful growth, allowing refugee children to develop their talents and change the course of their lives for the better. At the same time, they serve as a reminder of the challenges faced by millions of children forced to leave their homes because of war and persecution.