Asian Player of Year Salem Al Dawsari thanks Saudi leaders, Al Hilal and family for award

Salem Al Dawsari paid tribute to Saudi Arabia’s leadership, Al Hilal and his family after he was named the Asian Football Confederation's Player of the Year on Tuesday night.

The Hilal winger, who scored Saudi Arabia’s winner in their shock 2-1 victory against Argentina at last year’s World Cup, was named the best male footballer on the continent at the awards ceremony in Doha.

Al Dawsari became the sixth player from the kingdom to capture the prize, and the fifth from Hilal. He pipped to the award Qatar striker Almoez Ali and Australia forward Mathew Leckie.

Speaking after collecting the trophy, Al Dawsari said: “I am very happy with this achievement, and I would like to thank the leadership in Saudi Arabia for their keen interest in athletes and support for sport.

“I also want to thank the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, Al Hilal, the Saudi national team as well as the fans. Of course, I am grateful to my parents and wife, who is my No 1 supporter.”

Al Dawsari, 32, enjoyed a fine past couple of seasons – the award covered all achievements from January 2022 to May 2023 – helping Hilal clinch both the 2021/22 Saudi Pro League and the 2022/23 King’s Cup.

Last season, he played a crucial run in the Riyadh club’s run to the finals of the Asian Champions League and the Fifa Club World Cup. Hilal, who eventually lost to Real Madrid, entered the record books as the first Saudi club to reach the showpiece.

Also on Tuesday, Australia forward Sam Kerr was named the continent’s Asian Women’s Player of the Year. Runner-up in Monday’s women’s Ballon d’Or, the Chelsea star became the third female to lift the award more than once following her other success in 2017.

Kerr, 30, became her country’s all-time top scorer – men or women