Year in review: Arab football highlights from 2022

It has been an action-packed year for football in Saudi Arabia and the Arab world in general. As 2023 kicks off, we take a look back over the last 12 months.

Saudi Arabia’s game of the year

Saudi Arabia 2-1 Argentina. A game that football fans will never forget. It was the match that set the tone for a World Cup tournament full of upsets and excitement. A dominant Argentina were kicking themselves for only being 1-0 ahead at half-time but were confident that more goals would flow after the break. They did, but for Saudi Arabia. Saleh Al-Shehri equalized, then a beauty from Salem Al-Dawsari quickly put the Green Falcons ahead and, try as they might, Argentina could not get back into the game. Few guessed at the time that the South Americans would go on to lift the trophy, and perhaps this result had something to do with that. It also set the tone for a World Cup of upsets and excitement.

Arab game of the year

Morocco 1-0 Portugal. This well-deserved victory meant the marvelous Moroccans became the first Arab team ever to make the semi-finals of the World Cup, where, ultimately, reigning champions France proved too strong for the injury-hit Atlas Lions. But Morocco were the story of the tournament. They won their group and defeated Belgium, Spain and Portugal on their way to the semis. Their team lit up the World Cup — the players became household names and the fans weren’t bad either.

Special mention should also go to Tunisia for an epic win over France that just wasn’t quite enough to take the team into what would have been the country’s first appearance in the knockout stages.

Saudi Arabia’s player of the year

Salem Al-Dawsari has been consistently good for both club and country. If the 31-year-old winger was