Belgium / Jan 28, 2023 / Filmfestival Oostende
1h 28min
Overall average
5.0/10
Trailer
Videos
Plot
The talented Hamoudi is an 11-year-old boy with a passion for soccer and an ultimate dream to one day reach the level of his idol Lionel Messi. The day Hamoudi is caught in a horrific suicide attempt, he wakes up severely injured in a hospital. As his parents struggle to keep the family safe, Hamoudi is determined to fight for his shattered dream.
Main cast
Full cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Adil Abdulrahman | Osman |
| Bangen Ali | Check point soldier |
| Ahmed Mohammed Abdullah | Hamoudi |
| Safa Najem | Mirjem |
| Ibrahim Hashim | Yakoub |
| Ibrahim Hashim | Ali |
| Younis Ahmed | Jassim |
| Avan Jamal | Unity Security Crew |
| Anais Boelicke | American VIP |
| Kamiran Betasi | Fighter |
| Rowal Navgundî | Fighter |
Genres
Drama
Technical details
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Original title | Baghdad Messi |
| Original language | العربية (AR) |
| Spoken languages | العربية |
| Production countries | Belgium, Iraq, Netherlands |
| Status | Released |
| Production companies | 10.80 Films, Rola Productions, A Team Productions, Column Film, mîtosfilm |
| Release date | 3 agosto 2023 |
| Executive producer | Roj Hajo, Elise Van Marcke |
| Production | Kobe van Steenberghe, Hendrik Verthé, Mehmet Aktaş, Mohammed Alghadhban, Nabil Ben Yadir, Mohanad Hayal, Benoît Roland, Yves Van de Paer, Chantal van der Horst |
| Writer | Kobe van Steenberghe, Sahim Omar Kalifa |
| Cinematography | Anton Mertens |
| Assistant directors | Saman Mustefa, Sahim Omar Kalifa |
| Music | Frédéric Vercheval |
| Sound | Frédéric Vercheval |
Release dates
Premiere
Luxembourg / Mar 05, 2023 / Luxembourg City Film Festival
China / Jun 10, 2023 / Shanghai International Film Festival
Germany / Sep 25, 2023 / SCHLiNGEL International Film Festival for Children and Young Audience
Show more (3)Show less
India / Dec 15, 2024 / International Film Festival of Kerala
Ukraine / Sep 06, 2025 / OKO International Ethnographic Film Festival: Ukrainian Edition
Bulgaria / Oct 06, 2025 / OKO International Ethnographic Film Festival: Bulgarian Edition
Limited release
Iraq / Feb 23, 2024
Theatrical release
Netherlands / Aug 03, 2023 / 16
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