After Saleh Al Shehri cancelled out Lionel Messi’s opener, Al Dawsari plucked the ball out from the sky, negated two Argentine markers and unleashed a strike which curled past Emiliano Martinez and rested in the top corner to produce one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history.

That monumental goal proved why Al Dawsari has been hailed as one of best footballers in the continent in recent times, took home the AFC Player of the Year gong this year, and is tipped to become one of the leading stars of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™.

“It was such a happy feeling and a historic moment to score against Argentina,” Al Dawsari said about his goal recently. “But, my ambition will never be to win just one game; a player should always work harder and harder to achieve more.”

The hard grind began early for a young Al Dawsari who moved to the Saudi capital of Riyadh to join Al Hilal SFC where he has remained since, except for a short loan in La Liga with Villarreal, in the build-up to FIFA World Cup 2018, where his only appearance came as a substitute against Real Madrid.
Though making his senior Al Hilal debut with a goal against rivals Al Nassr FC as a 20-year-old in 2011 and getting into Frank Rijkaard’s Saudi Arabia squad a year later, success did not come easy for Al Dawsari as he struggled with injuries, form and discipline in the early parts of his career.

One of his lows came in 2017 when he was sent off in the AFC Champions League™ final against Urawa Red Diamonds, who went on to win the continental crown, but the Spanish sojourn and the World Cup in 2018 triggered a change of fortunes in the winger’s career.
Though Juan Antonio Pizzi’s Saudi Arabia bowed out in the group stage in Russia, they signed off with a 2-1 win against Mohamed Salah’s Egypt with Al Dawsari hitting the winner in the 95th minute – the first of his three World Cup goals.

He also redeemed himself at the club level, scoring as Al Hilal avenged the 2017 defeat to Urawa and posted a 3-0 aggregate win against the Japanese side in the AFC Champions League 2019 final to become the Asian champions for the first time since 2000.

Al Dawsari’s trophy cabinet has only grown since – he added another continental title in 2021 while also sweeping the domestic honours which now makes for five Saudi Professional League titles, four King Cups and two Super Cups.
He was Saudi Arabia’s joint top scorer in the qualification campaign for the FIFA World Cup 2022, alongside Al Shehri, before scoring twice in Qatar to equal Sami Al Jaber’s goalscoring record at the World Cup. He has also remained a vital cog in a star-studded Al Hilal line-up.

But, one thing missing from his collection is international silverware, and with the Green Falcons aiming for their fourth AFC Asian Cup title – ۲۷ years since their third – the onus is now on Al Dawsari and his teammates to return Saudi Arabia to their past heights.