Majed Abdullah

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Lore & Background

Majed Abdullah is regarded as one of the greatest Western Asian strikers of all time. He was nominated for IFFHS Asia's Player of the Century, finishing third place. He spent his entire club career at Al-Nassr, and scored 189 league goals in a twenty-one-year career. During this time, Al-Nassr established themselves as one of the dominant forces in Saudi and Asian football. With Abdullah leading the attack, Al-Nassr won five League titles and four King Cup titles as well as the 1997–98 Asian Cup Winners' Cup. Abdullah also finished as the Saudi League top scorer six times throughout his career. Majed Abdullah retired from football in 1998, after Al-Nassr's Asian Cup Winners' Cup Final victory over Suwon Samsung Bluewings. His success was not limited to the domestic stage. In 1984 Saudi Arabia qualified for their first-ever global international tournament at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Abdullah scored their only goal as Saudi Arabia lost all three group games. International success did come in 1984, however, in the Asian Cup in Singapore. Saudi Arabia beat China 2–0 in the final to take the title for the first time, with Abdullah scoring the second goal. Four years later in 1988, he would score twice in the tournament in Qatar as the Saudi team retained the title by beating South Korea on penalties.

In Their Own Story

The 1977–78 season saw Majed transform into a prolific scorer. After a slow start, he scored his first brace of that campaign against Al-Nahda on 4 November. He followed this with goals against Al-Qadsiah and Al-Ittihad before suffering an injury in the derby against Al-Hilal on 29 December. Upon returning on 12 January 1978, he netted in a 2–1 win over Al-Ettifaq. By March, he had recorded two hat-tricks: one in a 4–0 victory against Ohod and another in a 3–1 away win versus Al-Ittihad. On the international stage, his impact was equally sharp. In the 1984 Asian Cup final against China, he scored the second goal in a 2–0 triumph, securing Saudi Arabia's first title. Four years later in Qatar, he scored twice as the team retained the crown, beating South Korea on penalties. His international career concluded with his last appearance for Saudi Arabia during the 1994 FIFA World Cup.

Reader's Guide

Majed Abdullah is a legendary striker who spent his entire club career at Al-Nassr, winning five League titles and four King Cup titles, plus the 1997–98 Asian Cup Winners' Cup. He is the all-time top scorer of the Saudi Pro League with 189 goals and Al-Nassr's all-time top scorer with 260 goals. He also scored 72 goals in 117 appearances for Saudi Arabia, making him the nation's all-time leading scorer. He retired in 1998 after Al-Nassr's Asian Cup Winners' Cup final victory.

Did You Know?

• Majed Abdullah was born in the Al-Baghdadia District in Jeddah.
• He started his football career as a goalkeeper before switching to striker.
• He scored five goals in a single match against Qatar in the 1979 Arabian Gulf Cup.
• His first shirt number with Al-Nassr was 14.
• He scored his first international goal for the senior team against Pakistan in May 1978.