Ali Al-Bulaihi
Saudi Arabian footballer (born 1991)
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Ali Hadi Mohammed Al-Bulaihi (Arabic: عَلِيّ هَادِي مُحَمَّد الْبُلَيْهِيّ; born 21 November 1989) is a Saudi Arabian professional football player who plays as a centre-back for Saudi Pro League club Al-Shabab, on loan from Al Hilal, and the Saudi Arabia national team.[4]
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Al-Bulaihi with Saudi Arabia at the 2023 AFC Asian Cup | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ali Hadi Mohammed Al-Bulaihi[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 21 November 1989[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Najran, Saudi Arabia | ||
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)[3] | ||
| Position | Centre-back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team |
Al-Shabab (on loan from Al Hilal) | ||
| Number | 3 | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2011–2014 | Al-Amal | ||
| 2014–2015 | Al-Nahda | ||
| 2015–2017 | Al-Fateh | 47 | (1) |
| 2017– | Al Hilal | 165 | (17) |
| 2026– | → Al-Shabab (loan) | 12 | (1) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2018– | Saudi Arabia | 60 | (2) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 7 May 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 17:44, 31 December 2024 (UTC) | |||
Club career
Al-Bulaihi started his career at Al-Amal where he spent three years before joining Al-Nahda in 2014.[5] On 23 July 2015, he joined Al-Fateh.[6]
Al-Hilal
On 21 June 2017, Al-Hilal signed Al Bulaihi on a free transfer. He signed a three-year contract with the club.[7]
In April 2024, in a derby match against rival team Al Nassr, he courted controversy after being elbowed by Cristiano Ronaldo following attempts to intimidate him, resulting in a red card for Ronaldo and a yellow card for Al-Bulaihi.[8]
Al-Shabab (loan)
On 1 February 2026, Al-Bulaihi joined Al-Shabab on loan for six-month.[9]
International career
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In June 2018, Al-Bulaihi was named in Saudi Arabia's squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.[10] He made his debut in the competition against Uruguay.[11] In November 2022, he was called up for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.[12] In the opening game, he played the whole match as his team defeated the eventual world champions Argentina 2–1.[13]
In January 2024, he drew criticism for shoving and grabbing the hair of South Korean player Son Heung-min, unprovoked, during the 2023 AFC Asian Cup round of 16. Al-Bulaihi had previously similarly taunted Argentine player Lionel Messi by slapping him on the back.[14][15]
Career statistics
Club
- As of match played 4 July 2025[16]
| Club | Season | League | King's Cup | Asia | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Al-Fateh | 2015–16 | Saudi Pro League | 24 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1[a] | 0 | 26 | 0 | |
| 2016–17 | 23 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 2[a] | 1 | 33 | 2 | ||
| Total | 47 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 59 | 2 | ||
| Al-Hilal | 2017–18 | Saudi Pro League | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4[b] | 0 | — | 10 | 0 | |
| 2018–19 | 25 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6[b] | 1 | 8[c] | 0 | 39 | 4 | ||
| 2019–20 | 14 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 11[b] | 1 | 3[d] | 0 | 34 | 3 | ||
| 2020–21 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6[b] | 1 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 3 | ||
| 2021–22 | 22 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 7[b] | 0 | 3[e] | 0 | 35 | 3 | ||
| 2022–23 | 22 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5[b] | 0 | 4[f] | 0 | 33 | 2 | ||
| 2023–24 | 32 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 12[b] | 1 | 8[g] | 0 | 56 | 3 | ||
| 2024–25 | 26 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 9[h] | 1 | 2[d] | 0 | 40 | 5 | ||
| Total | 162 | 17 | 19 | 1 | 65 | 6 | 30 | 0 | 274 | 24 | ||
| Career total | 209 | 18 | 22 | 1 | 71 | 6 | 33 | 1 | 333 | 26 | ||
- Appearance(s) in Saudi Crown Prince Cup
- Appearances in AFC Champions League
- Six appearances in Arab Club Champions Cup, one appearance in Saudi Super Cup, one appearance in Saudi-Egyptian Super Cup
- Appearances in FIFA Club World Cup
- One appearance in Saudi Super Cup, two appearances in FIFA Club World Cup
- One appearance in Saudi Super Cup, three appearances in FIFA Club World Cup
- Six appearances in Arab Club Champions Cup, two appearances in Saudi Super Cup
- Appearances in AFC Champions League Elite
International
- Statistics accurate as of match played 31 December 2024.[17]
| Saudi Arabia | ||
| Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 11 | 0 |
| 2019 | 6 | 0 |
| 2020 | 2 | 0 |
| 2021 | 8 | 0 |
| 2022 | 13 | 0 |
| 2023 | 7 | 1 |
| 2024 | 13 | 1 |
| Total | 60 | 2 |
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 September 2023 | St James' Park, Newcastle, England |  Costa Rica | 1–2 | 1–3 | Friendly |
| 2 | 16 January 2024 | Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan, Qatar |  Oman | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2023 AFC Asian Cup |
