Mohammed Al-Sahlawi Top Scorer

Lore & Background

Al-Sahlawi began his career at Al-Qadsiah, where he broke into the first team in the 2006–07 season. He was loaned to Al-Fateh, scoring one goal in five matches, before returning to Al-Qadsiah and finishing as the top goalscorer in the Saudi First Division in 2008. He moved to Al-Nassr in 2009 for SR32 million, a major deal but not the largest in Saudi football history—Yasser Al-Qahtani's transfer to Al-Hilal in 2005 was for SR35 million, and other larger deals existed. In his first season with Al-Nassr, he scored 21 goals in 36 matches, though he did not receive the STC Young Player of the Year award. He later played for Al-Shabab, Muaither, Al-Hazem, and Al-Safa.

In Their Own Story

The roar of King Fahd International Stadium faded into a hush as the clock ticked toward stoppage time. The scoreline was tight, and the pressure mounted on the white-and-blue jersey. Mohammed Al-Sahlawi received a flick-on in the six-yard box, his eyes locked on the goal. With a calmness that belied the chaos around him, he struck the ball low and hard into the corner. As the net rippled, the stadium erupted, celebrating another chapter in the legend of their greatest scorer.

Reader's Guide

Al-Sahlawi is a striker. He scored his first senior hat-trick on 3 September 2015 in a 7–0 defeat of Timor-Leste in a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier, and scored five goals on 17 November 2015 in a 10–0 drubbing of Timor-Leste. He was named in Saudi Arabia's final squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup on 4 June 2018.

Did You Know?

• Al-Sahlawi scored his first senior goal for the national team in 2012, against Thailand in a friendly or World Cup qualifier.
• He was selected as one of the world's best top goalscorers by the IFFHS in 2015.
• He trained with Manchester United for a short period in 2018, though not for three weeks and not specifically ahead of the World Cup.