From World Cup Hero to a Quiet Night: Salem Al-Dawsari’s Struggles in the 2026 Qualifiers

Few could have imagined that Salem Al-Dawsari, the Saudi captain and the team’s talisman, would slip from World Cup 2022 glory into a ghostly presence on the pitch in the opening AFC Asian Qualifiers for 2026.

He started and played the full 90 minutes as Saudi Arabia edged Indonesia 3-2, at a stadium that promised ambition, yet his influence was mostly faint and fleeting rather than decisive.

Shadows over Al-Dawsari

On the field, his body was present while his mind seemed misplaced, as if he were wandering in a maze. When a scoring chance finally appeared, it repeatedly whistled past or met a wrong decision rather than a finish.

Over 90 minutes he touched the ball 57 times, completed 36 passes with 29 accurate (81%), registered 3 key passes, and delivered 3 crosses, of which only one found a teammate. He also completed a single long ball and created one notable scoring chance.

Yet the productive side of his game failed to translate into goals or meaningful attempts on goal—he fired two attempts on target, and another was saved or blocked before reaching the net, while two one-on-one chances slipped away.

Approaching the end of the first half, Saudi Arabia were awarded a penalty after a foul in the box. Al-Dawsari initially stepped forward, then inexplicably stepped back and let Firas Al-Briikan take the kick; the ball went in, but nearly was saved by the keeper.

That moment was later explained by Firas Al-Briikan, who said the spot-kick was a group decision arranged beforehand, with Renard selecting the taker as part of the set-piece plan under the then-Saudi coach.

The decision behind that moment reportedly involved a pre-agreed plan under Hervé Renard, with the captain treated as a participant in the routine rather than the designated taker.

Al-Dawsari’s penalty misses had become a talking point long before this match, having three missed penalties in the recent qualifiers from various stages, including a spot-kick situation against Indonesia where the keeper nearly reclaimed possession.

Trust Wobble

Under new tactical emphasis, doubts about Al-Dawsari’s shooting and decision-making persisted. He has long been trusted to deliver moments of magic, but the night underscored a broader struggle to sustain that spark in a more defensive setup.

Before the break, the team’s plan also reflected how the squad’s approach had evolved, with more emphasis on structure and collective defense rather than individual brilliance in the final third.

The shift in responsibilities and the lack of a reliable penalty taker around him have fed a growing narrative about his role in a squad that once leaned on him for inspiration.

Numbers Clouded by Context

These negative signals extended into the records surrounding the World Cup 2026 qualifiers. In 13 matches across the second and third rounds and the playoff, Al-Dawsari has two goals and one assist, a tally that lags behind the heroics of 2022 when the team relied on his breakthroughs to reach the tournament.

In previous campaigns, including the AFC Asian Cup 2023 and the Gulf Cup 2024, his production fluctuated, highlighting a broader trend rather than a single poor night.

Manchini’s Shadow and the Road Ahead

The Italian coach Roberto Mancini, who took charge in 2023, pushed for defensive balance and a more controlled use of Al-Dawsari in advanced positions. Under Mancini, the captain made 16 appearances with two goals and one assist, while his influence waned after the Italian’s departure, appearing in nine more matches with two goals and two assists.

Fans still remember him as the World Cup 2022 hero who delivered a memorable group-stage moment against Argentina and contributed to the team’s journey to the tournament. The clash between past glory and present consistency remains a focal point of the discourse around his role going into the decisive fixtures.

World Cup 2022: A Bright Contrast

The dream year of 2022 showed Al-Dawsari at his best, including the famous late-match winner against Argentina and a continued threat in the group stage. Those moments set a high bar that the present qualifiers have not matched, fueling expectation that he can rekindle his form for the critical playoff against Iraq as the team chases a World Cup berth once more.

In the second and third rounds of qualification and the playoff, the hope remains that Al-Dawsari can channel that earlier magic once more, to help lead the team back to the world stage with the same intensity that defined his peak.

All eyes are on the next fixture, as the Green seek to convert steady performances into decisive contributions and return to the form that once carried them toward their World Cup dream.

Punchline 1: If precision were a sniper, Salem showed up with a corkscrew—the shots kept coming, just not where they should.

Punchline 2: Maybe the ball’s GPS is out of date; it keeps routing Al-Dawsari into the shadows while the crowd keeps lighting up the replays.