There’s a first for everything, including scoring in a major league when you come from a country where football hasn’t always been the national sport. This week, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia announced being appointed as the official hosts of the 2034 FIFA World Cup. And, in a serendipitous twist of fate, the announcement coincided with another historic moment as it also happened to be the same week in which Saud Abdulhamid made history by becoming the first Saudi footballer to score in a European competition.
View this post on Instagram
To celebrate the recent achievement and to cast a light on a nation that is slowly, but steadily, building a name for itself in the realm of soccer, below, we compiled a list of four must-know facts about Abdulhamid, the player that’s making the Kingdom shine on the global football stage.
He’s 25
View this post on Instagram
Abdulhamid was born on July 18, 1999 in Jeddah. Born and raised by the Red Sea, the 25-year-old spent most of his childhood years there before moving to Riyadh following his signing with Al Hilal in 2022.
He’s played alongside Neymar
View this post on Instagram
Despite his young age, Abdulhamid has had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play alongside some of football’s most respected and talented players from Neymar and Yassine Bounou to Kalidou Koulibaly. While there is no doubt about his skills with a ball between his feet, it’s worth noting that his inclusion in such esteemed squads can mainly be credited to the wave of hefty investments Saudi sides have made in recent years to attract international stars and elevate the level of domestic football— where he’s played most of his life— and not necessarily because of his status as a household name on the global stage just yet. Throughout his time at Al Hilal and Al Ittihad, where he cumulatively spent six years, he’s also had the chance to share a field and kick a ball with the likes of EFL Championship winner Ruben Neves, former FC Barcelona forward Malcom, as well as former Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinković-Savić.
He plays for A.S Roma
View this post on Instagram
Abdulhamid began his career at Al-Ittihad before moving to Al-Hilal in 2022, where he managed to clinch six domestic titles. On Aug. 27, 2024, he signed with Serie A club A.S Roma for a $2.6 million fee. A month later, on Sept. 26, he made his debut with the Italian side in a 1–1 draw against Athletic Bilbao in the Europa League, becoming the first Saudi player to play in a European tournament. He scored his first goal for Roma in a 3-0 win over S.C. Braga in the Europa League, which made him the first Saudi player to ever score in a European competition.
He’s a seasoned national team player
View this post on Instagram
Abdulhamid made his debut for Saudi Arabia’s national team in 2019 in a 1–1 draw against Mali. He has since represented his home-country 41 times across the 2020 Summer Olympics, the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and the 2023 AFC Asian Cup. He was also part of the team that achieved a historic 2–1 victory over Argentina during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, a match where Messi’s team was brought to its knees in a game many of us in the region still fondly remember to this day.
