Montader Madjed ends Iraq national team career after death threat

Montader Madjed Iraq national team Al-Shorta Hammarby IF Adi al-Rubaie

Iraqi-Swedish footballer Montader Madjed has announced he will no longer represent the Iraq national team following a public death threat from an Iraqi football official. The 21-year-old Hammarby IF player received the threat during a television broadcast on Dijlah TV.

Adi al-Rubaie, a board member of the Iraqi club Al-Shorta, stated, “Whoever does not respect the name of my country, I will have executed.” When asked if the comment was an exaggeration, al-Rubaie replied, “No, it is definitely not exaggerated.”

The Iraqi Football Federation condemned the remarks, with spokesperson Ahmed Al-Falluji describing the statement as “abominable” and calling for legal action against al-Rubaie.

Madjed, who previously played for Swedish youth national teams before choosing Iraq in 2023, had recently declined a call-up from coach Graham Arnold. The player cited a desire to focus on his club, Hammarby, and stated that the incident and subsequent online hate have made it impossible to continue his international career with Iraq.