In Iraq, football under Saddam Hussein was life or death—quite literally. Uday Hussein, Saddam's oldest son, was in charge of the Iraqi team from 1984 to the early 2000s, and under his watch, they achieved international recognition. Unfortunately, under Uday Hussein, football player torture and brutality reached unparalleled levels of sadism.

Players were beaten and exposed to days of vicious treatment; they lived in fear that Uday would have the whole Iraqi soccer team executed if they lost. Former Iraqi football players have come forward to talk about what they endured and what has happened to them since their days on the field for Iraq. Uday Hussein's crimes exploited vulnerable athletes and created a shocking disparity between the adoration they received on the field and the brutality they endured behind the scenes.