Ali Abbas Al-Hilfi

In November 2007 Ali Abbas, along with Ali Mansour and Ali Khudhair grabbed global headlines by seeking asylum in Australia after playing against the Olyroos for the Iraqi Under-23 side in an Olympic Games qualifier in Gosford. He had talks with Marconi Stallions at the time but returned to Iraq early in 2008 after discussions with the Iraqi Football Association and joined Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya in Baghdad. In February 2009, Marconi reached an agreement with Iraqi club, Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, for Abbas to join them permanently.

Marconi Stallions

In the opening game of the NSW Premier League season, Abbas scored a stunning curling free-kick for Marconi in his first game for the club in their 2–0 victory over Penrith Nepean United at Marconi Stadium. He also helped Marconi secure second spot in the 2009 New South Wales Premier League season before signing with A-league side, Newcastle United Jets.

Newcastle Jets

Abbas trialled with Newcastle Jets before the start of the 2009–10 regular season under then Newcastle coach, Gary Van Egmond, but was ultimately not signed. However, on 18 September 2009, Abbas signed for the club as an injury replacement player for Shaun Ontong. He scored his first Jets goal on 12 February 2010 in a 2–1 loss to Adelaide United. Abbas re-signed with the Jets for another season seeing him play until the conclusion of the 2010–11 A-League season. He gained a contract extension which ended at the close of the 2011–12 season.

Sydney FC…

Despite playing only one of Iraq's six matches in the 2008 Asian Olympic qualifiers, the 20-year-old midfielder was called into the senior national team in the 2007 WAFF Championship. After starting his career with Al Talaba, he joined Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya in July 2006. He lifted the Asian Cup Trophy in 2007. In September 2014, Abbas was recalled by the national team for the first time in 7 years as part of an extended squad for friendly games against Bahrain and Yemen. Abbas was called up to the national squad for the final stage of World Cup qualifying against Australia in Perth in September 2016.

Club

As of 1 May 2016

On 26 January 2012, Abbas became an official Australian citizen and from then on was not counted against foreign player quotas in the A-League. His nephew Mohammed Ridha Jalil is also an Iraqi international footballer.