‘Top scorer in MLS, without a doubt’ - Wessam Abou Ali showed flashes before injury, now he’s ready to dominate

Yet things might have been so different. Of course, that's true in football. A different tackle, a step in another direction, or a misguided run, and Abou Ali could have not been involved in a challenge that saw him get injured. In fact, Abou Ali could have been a Crew player as early as January 2025, he said. But with his side, Egyptian giants Al-Ahly playing in the Club World Cup, Abou Ali wanted to stick around. 

It proved to be a wise decision. They may have failed to get out of Group A, but Abou Ali made an impact, scoring a hat-trick in a 4-4 tie with Porto - arguably the most compelling game of the tournament. That tournament, in general, proved to be a bit of vindication for the Palestinian international.

"You should have seen it. In Miami, a massive stadium and all Egyptian Al-Ahly fans. It was crazy," he said. 

The Crew may not pack an NFL arena week in, week out. But the tournament showed that the passion for soccer in the United States was real. MLS, he found out, was far better-equipped, better-run, and of a higher standard than he had thought. 

"It's a lot better than I expected. The level is higher, the tempo is higher. But also, like, the seriousness around the league. It's top, how professional it is: the stadium, the filming, the cameras, the way it is set up," he explained.

And he thrived off that energy at first. The Crew needed a No. 9, and Abou Ali fit the bill perfectly. Tall, strong, quick and a good finisher, he had scored goals at multiple levels. He never quite found consistency in his native Denmark or Sweden. But his return at Al-Ahly - 28 goals in 35 games - proved that he could provide when given a chance. It was enough for the Crew to spend big, and bring in Abou Ali on a deal that might rise to as much as $8.5 million if certain add ons are hit. 

The Crew reportedly considered other targets for their starting striker, but Abou Ali remained top of the list. He repaid their faith with a strong start to his MLS career, bagging in three straight after failing to score in his first two appearances. This whole MLS thing looked pretty easy for him. 

"I just need my cleats and a ball," Abou Ali said with a smile. 

And you could see why. Abou Ali played with a relentlessness to him, but also a real joy. He was a winger in his early days in football, and looked a player enjoying every minute on the pitch. There was a reason. Abou Ali could have been out of the game for good after suffering a heart attack on the pitch in 2021.

"I had a heart attack four years ago, man. So [cleats and a ball] or all that matters. Forget the money. Forget the fame. What can that mean? Nothing," he said. 

It was a moment that nearly ended his career, and put everything that followed into perspective.

In the grander scheme of things, then, breaking his ankle was less of a threat to his career. Abou Ali knew that he would recover in full. 

But that didn't make it easy. 

"When you break your ankle, you sit at home like this," he said, theatrically slamming his lanky right leg against a table in front of him. "You cannot move. You're just itching, but you cannot play." 

Doctors insisted that he keep his right foot in a boot. Abou Ali found it immensely difficult. The injury may not have hurt during the match itself, but the days after? They were tough. 

"It's everything. It's getting out of bed. It's going to shower. You can't step. If you step, you just fall down. There's nothing there. And then putting the boot on for six, eight weeks, that was horrible," he said.

There were times when Abou Ali thought he was ready to go - only to face a setback. There are stages to an injury recovery. Ankles are tricky. Abou Ali had to go from weight-bearing to running to cutting to kicking a ball around. The process was truly grueling at times.

"You have to do some pool work, for example, just run in the pool. It was like five percent resistance, but then you feel your ankle, and you think in your head, 'Can I even walk?'" he said.

It didn't help, either, that most of Abou Ali's support system is still spread around the world. Sure, there were calls and FaceTimes to keep him going. But they were on different time zones, six hours ahead. Those long evenings, when the reality of the injury really started to hit, were spent alone. 

"Time difference is difficult. When I started gaming, they all went to sleep," Abou Ali said. "I couldn't talk to my friends."

Of course, the Crew helped immensely. The rehabilitation program they put together for him worked a charm. But most importantly, they insisted that he stick around the team, even if that meant just standing around and having a laugh. 

"I felt that I had an impact since I came, yeah, like outside of the field, like people really rated me as a person. Then I talked with the coach and he said 'we'd like you to be around,' just to put some confidence in the people," Abou Ali said. 

And so he agreed. Abou Ali became equal parts stand-up comic and hype man, getting involved in the day-to-day and also watching from the sidelines. He may not have been banging in goals. But he still felt that he had an impact. 

"I was just there telling jokes," he recalled. "[They laughed] sometimes because it was stupid. Never because it was funny." 

And now he is back - albeit under different circumstances. The coach who initially signed him, Nancy, is gone. He left for Celtic and was sacked after 33 days in charge. A top assistant, Yoann Damet, took the St. Louis CITY job in December. 

But Abou Ali is familiar with the new manager, Henrik Rydstrom - mostly because he tried to buy him a few years ago (the money never worked out). He is quick to point out, too, that he both played and scored against his Malmo team, even if they were pretty much untouchable in the Swedish top flight from 2023-2024.

"I played against him when he was coaching Malmo. I scored against him," Abou Ali said with a smile. "They were frightening. They beat us, as well." 

Of course, Abou Ali reminded Rydstrom that he had scored against his team in their introductory phone call. But he also offered to help in any way he could. Rydstrom has never coached in the United States. And even if he proved himself a shrewd tactician in Scandinavia, Abou Ali knows the transition can be difficult.

"I would imagine how difficult it is, especially going from Sweden all the way over here as a coach," Abou Ali said. "I had to put my cleats on and go kick a ball. And listen to go right and go left. And then put the ball in the net. That's my job. His job is to make 30 players happy."

He preached patience, too. 

"New coaches always need time. I offered him one thing, I said 'Look, whatever you need from me. I'm ready to help. I like to lead that way. I'm going to help you and support you on the field, off the field. If you want someone to explain new things to, I'm there for you,'," he said. 

Yet Abou Ali still has goals. 

"Top scorer in MLS, without a doubt," he said. 

He wants his side to be top three in the Eastern Conference. He wants to be playing for trophies at the end of the season. 

With a ball, cleats, and a right ankle that works again, it's easy to see how that target might just be attainable.