Ali Ahmed's Remarkable Journey to the World Cup Stage
Ali Ahmed, the Norwich City winger, grew up on the outskirts of Toronto, where as a teenager, he would famously hop over the fence of the MLS club Toronto FC before dawn to have a kickabout with friends on their pristine training pitches. This early passion for football has now propelled him to the brink of representing Canada at the 2026 World Cup, a dream he holds close to his heart.
Home Advantage and Family Ties
Ahmed watched the last World Cup from home with friends and family, describing the sight of Canada walking out as "goose bumps" and "surreal." This time, he will be at the heart of the action in two cities dear to him: Toronto and Vancouver. Under coach Jesse Marsch, Canada will face Qatar and Switzerland in Vancouver after an opener against a European playoff winner, possibly Italy, in Toronto.
An Italy match in Toronto would be particularly special for Ahmed, not only due to the city's large Italian population—"the stadium might be more blue than red," he jokes—but also because his parents, who are from Ethiopia but lived in Italy for two years, are avid calcio fans. "Football was ingrained in all of us in our family," Ahmed reflects.
Overcoming Adversity and Finding Football
Ahmed's upbringing in the Lawrence Heights neighbourhood of Toronto was marked by challenges. "Unfortunately it's a community that's experienced a lot of gun violence," he says candidly. "Growing up, a lot of people you know maybe get shot, maybe are dead. You hear shots, you hear police, it's tough." Despite this, he describes it as a united, close-knit place: "Not the most beautiful community, but the people inside are beautiful."
Football became his route out, leading him on an unexpected path. At 17, he turned down a spot in the Toronto FC academy to fly to Portugal on a youth coach's advice. He trained with Belenenses' under-19s, paying his own way and staying in Lisbon hostels, but couldn't sign until he was 18—a contract that never materialised. He then tried his luck in Spain, the Netherlands, and England, with trials at non-league clubs like Enfield Town, Cheshunt, and Tooting & Mitcham.
"I was a skinny kid coming into a non-league club. It didn't look great," Ahmed says of this character-developing stage. "At the time, when you want something so bad you're numb to some of the struggles that you have to go through. When I look at it now, I would never do it again. It's like: 'What was I doing?'"
Rise to Professional Football and International Duty
Eventually, a connection led him to the Vancouver Whitecaps, where he secured a professional contract after a trial initially cancelled due to the pandemic. "The joy that I had was like: 'Oh, finally, I really made it.' But I knew my ambitions. I knew it was just a start," Ahmed recalls. His rise was rapid; just six months after going pro, he was playing for Canada, a journey he describes as "crazy."
In 2023, he suffered a scary incident, knocked unconscious in a Canadian Championship game and treated on the pitch for 17 minutes. "I hit the floor," he says. "I remember waking up and I thought I was in bed ... I thought I was dreaming that I scored." He was hospitalised and couldn't walk for the rest of the day due to dizziness but escaped without serious damage.
Current Form and Personal Challenges
Since joining Norwich City in January from the Whitecaps, the 25-year-old has nailed down a place on the left-wing, contributing to an upturn in form under Philippe Clement that has pushed the club into the top half of the Championship. Ahmed started each of Norwich's seven games during Ramadan, getting up before 4am for Suhoor, the pre-dawn meal.
Fasting during a crunch period of the English season has been "a learning curve" for Ahmed. He notes the contrast in reactions: after Manchester City's Muslim players were booed when a Premier League game at Leeds was stopped for them to break their fast, there was applause when Norwich's FA Cup tie at Elland Road was halted for Ahmed and Leeds' Joël Piroe. "In general in England, they've gone above and beyond to make the player feel more accepted in what they're doing," Ahmed says.
World Cup Ambitions and Home Comforts
Ahmed and Canada faced Lionel Messi's Argentina at the Copa América, including a 2-0 semi-final defeat, and he later equalised in a 3-1 loss to Messi's Inter Miami in the MLS Cup final. Marsch's Canada were disruptors at that tournament, and Ahmed believes they can punch above their weight again this summer. "I want to win our group," he asserts. "And then from there, into the knockout rounds. It's important to have that belief that we can play with anybody. Why not?"
Home advantage is enormous for the Canada men's team, a first at a World Cup. If they top Group B, their next two knockout games would also be in Vancouver. Ahmed has no concerns about playing in the United States in the current political climate, saying Canada would just have to block out "external things."
Reflecting on the upcoming tournament, Ahmed concludes: "It's going to be a perfect setup for me, playing in Toronto and Vancouver—I couldn't ask for anything better." His journey from hopping fences to chasing World Cup glory encapsulates a story of resilience, faith, and unwavering ambition.
