Salem Al-Dawsari
#10 · Midfielder · age 34 · (C)
Captain. Scored winner vs Argentina at Qatar 2022.
91
WC26 rating
- Recent form
- 69
- Career peak
- 96
- League level
- 75
- Competition pedigree
- 97
- International pedigree
- 98
- Longevity
- 76
Independent rating — league strength (Opta-anchored) × competition tier × position-normalized output. Not affiliated with EA or FIFA.
Career by season
Source: transfermarkt + sofascore · fetched 2026-05-29
Al-Dawsari is the player Saudi Arabia builds around — both in attacking design (cuts inside off the right, plays a left-footed final-third pass or shot) and in dressing-room hierarchy. At 34 he is no longer covering the ground he once did, but with Saudi expected to defend deep and counter in this group, his role is to be the relief valve: receive, beat one man, find Al-Buraikan or Al-Shehri.
If Saudi Arabia are to escape group H — a long shot against Spain and Uruguay — it will require Al-Dawsari producing another moment of the kind he produced against Argentina. He is the only player in this squad with the demonstrated ability to do that against world-class opposition.
Strengths
- left-footed cutting in from the right
- set-piece delivery
- experience and game-state management
- leadership
Recent form
Anchored Al-Hilal's continued domestic dominance through 2025-26; captain of the national team throughout qualifying.
His goal against Argentina at Qatar 2022 was the only competitive goal Lionel Messi's Argentina conceded from open play in the entire tournament — until the World Cup final itself.