Salem Al-Dawsari

Salem Mohammed Shafi Al-Dawsari (; born 19 August 1991) is a Saudi Arabian professional footballer who plays as a left winger and captains both Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal and the Saudi Arabia national team.

Early and personal life Al-Dawsari was born in Jeddah and joined Al Hilal's youth academy at the age of 14.

Club career Al-Dawsari made his debut for Al Hilal in 2010, at the age of 19. Apart from one year on loan at Villarreal as part of a deal between the Saudi Arabian Football Federation and La Liga, he has spent his entire career at Al Hilal.thumb

Al-Dawsari made one league appearance for Villarreal, coming on as a substitute against Real Madrid as the Yellow Submarine came from behind to draw 2–2.

In the second leg of the 2019 AFC Champions League final on 24 November, Al-Dawsari scored the opening goal in an eventual 2–0 away win over Urawa Red Diamonds, which saw Al-Hilal win the title following a 3–0 aggregate victory; the title allowed them to qualify for the 2019 FIFA Club World Cup.

On 7 February 2023, Al-Dawsari scored two penalties against Brazilian club Flamengo in the semi-finals of the 2022 FIFA Club World Cup. Al Hilal won 3–2, becoming the first Saudi Arabian club to reach the final of the Club World Cup.

On 27 June 2025, Al-Dawsari scored in a 2–0 win over Mexican club Pachuca in the final group stage match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, becoming the top Asian goalscorer in the history of the Club World Cup with 5 goals, surpassing Tsukasa Shiotani (4). In October that year, he achieved his second AFC Player of the Year award, becoming the first Saudi player to achieve this feat.

International career Al-Dawsari was called up to the Saudi Arabia national team for the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, and scored his first international goal in an away match against Australia in 2014 In May 2018, he was named in Saudi Arabia's preliminary squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. On 25 June, Al-Dawsari scored a late winning goal as his side won 2–1 over Egypt in their last group stage match of the World Cup.

On 22 November 2022, Al-Dawsari scored his second goal at a FIFA World Cup, his first at the 2022 edition in Qatar in a match against Argentina. He made a run around the box before finishing past Emiliano Martínez to put Saudi Arabia ahead by a score of 2–1, which ended in a remarkable and historic victory for the Saudi Arabia national team. On 30 November, Al-Dawsari scored a goal against Mexico, in which he equalled the record of most goals scored by a Saudi player in World Cups, three goals by Sami Al-Jaber, as Saudi Arabia exited the World Cup with a 2–1 loss to Mexico.

On 8 October 2025, he made his 100th international appearance in a 3–2 win over Indonesia during the 2026 World Cup qualification fourth round.

Career statistics Club

International

Saudi Arabia's score listed first, score column indicates score after each Al-Dawsari goal. 2020–21, 2021–22, 2023–24 King's Cup: 2015, 2017, 2019–20, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2025–26 Saudi Crown Prince Cup: 2011–12, 2012–13, 2015–16 Saudi Super Cup: 2018, 2021, 2023, 2024 AFC Champions League: 2019, 2021

Individual IFFHS Asian Men's Team of the Year: 2020, 2022, 2023, 2025 IFFHS Asian Men's Team of the Decade: 2020 AFC Champions League Most Valuable Player: 2021 Saudi Pro League Player of the Month: January 2023 Saudi Pro League Saudi Player of the Season: 2024–25 AFC Player of the Year: 2022, 2025 AFC Champions League Elite top scorer: 2024–25