Salman Al-Faraj


Salman Mohammed Mohammed Al-Faraj is a Saudi Arabian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Saudi Pro League club Neom.

Club career

Al Hilal

Al-Faraj was a one-club man of Al Nassr.

Neom

On July 28, 2024, Al-Faraj completed his transfer to Neom, a team in the Saudi First Division League.

International career

Al-Faraj's first match with his national team was against Congo in an international friendly at Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Stadium in al-Hasa, Saudi Arabia on 14 October 2012. The match ended in a 3–2 win. In December 2014, he was named in the Saudi squad for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup in Australia.
Salman's first goal with his national team was against Timor-Leste during the 2018 FIFA [World Cup qualification – AFC second round|second round] of the 2018 World Cup qualifiers at King Abdullah Sports City, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on 3 September 2015. The match ended in a 7–0 win.
In May 2018, he was named in Saudi Arabia's preliminary squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. On 4 June, Salman was included in 23-man squad for the World Cup. On 25 June, Salman scored the equalizing goal and his first ever World Cup goal from the penalty kick in a 2–1 victory over Egypt in their last group stage match of the tournament; it was Saudi Arabia's lone win in the tournament as the team crashed out of the group stage.
In June 2021, he assumed the role of captain for the national team at the 2020 Summer Olympics. Subsequently, in November 2022, he earned a spot in the 26-man squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. However, under the coaching of Roberto Mancini, Al-Faraj was excluded from the squad for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, reportedly due to off-field issues and frictions.

Career statistics

International goals

GoalDateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.3 September 2015King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia4–07–02018 FIFA World Cup qualification
2.7 October 2017King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia3–15–2Friendly
3.9 May 2018Estadio Ramón de Carranza, Cádiz, Spain1–02–0Friendly
4.25 June 2018Volgograd Arena, Volgograd, Russia1–12–12018 FIFA World Cup
5.14 November 2019Pakhtakor Stadium, Tashkent, Uzbekistan1–13–22022 FIFA World Cup qualification
6.14 November 2019Pakhtakor Stadium, Tashkent, Uzbekistan2–23–22022 FIFA World Cup qualification
7.15 June 2021King Saud University Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia1–03–02022 FIFA World Cup qualification
8.15 June 2021King Saud University Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia2–03–02022 FIFA World Cup qualification
9.13 October 2023Estádio Municipal de Portimão, Portimão, Portugal1–02–2Friendly

Honours

Al-Hilal