Ali Al-Bulaihi

Ali Hadi Mohammed Al-Bulaihi (Arabic: علي هادي محمد البليهي; born 21 November 1989) is a Saudi who plays as a centre-back for Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal and the Saudi Arabia national team.[4]

Ali Al-Bulaihi
Al-Bulaihi with Saudi Arabia at the 2023 AFC Asian Cup
Personal information
Full name Ali Hadi Mohammed Al-Bulaihi[1]
Date of birth (1989-11-21) 21 November 1989[2]
Place of birth Najran, Saudi Arabia
Height 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)[3]
Position(s) Centre-back
Team information
Current team
 Al Hilal
Number 5
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011–2014 Al-Amal
2014–2015 Al-Nahda
2015–2017 Al-Fateh 47 (1)
2017– Al Hilal 132 (13)
International career‡
2018– Saudi Arabia 52 (2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 6 May 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 22:07, 21 March 2024 (UTC)

Al-Bulaihi has gained reputation of constantly trash talking and taunting the opposition players. In January 2024, he drew criticism for physically abusing opposing forwards like shoving and grabbing the hair of South Korean forwards Son Heung-min and Hwang Hee-chan, unprovoked during the 2023 AFC Asian Cup round of 16 clash. Al-Bulaihi had previously similarly taunted Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski by slamming on the back during their fixtures in the 2022 FIFA World Cup and also on Luis Suárez. He also did similar instances in club level as well. Most notably in multiple occasions against Cristiano Ronaldo during the Riyadh derby games in the Saudi Pro League and did the same against Hakim Ziyech at 2022 FIFA Club World Cup.[5][6]

Club career

Al-Bulaihi started his career at Al-Amal where he spent three years before joining Al-Nahda in 2014.[7] On 23 July 2015, he joined Al-Fateh.[8]

Al-Hilal

On 21 June 2017, Al-Hilal signed Al Bulaihi on a free transfer. He signed a three-year contract with the club.[9]

In April 2024, in a derby match against rival team Al Nassr, he gathered some controversy after being elbowed by Cristiano Ronaldo after trying to intimidate him, resulting in a red card for Ronaldo and a yellow card for Al-Bulaihi.[10]

International career
Al-Bulaihi with Saudi Arabia at the 2018 FIFA World Cup

In June 2018, Al-Bulaihi was named in Saudi Arabia's squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.[11] He made his debut in the competition against Uruguay.[12] In November 2022, he was called up for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.[13] In the opening game, he played the whole match as his team defeated the eventual world champions Argentina 2–1.[14]

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.[15][16]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 20 January 2024[17]
Club Season League King Cup Asia Other Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Al-Fateh 2015–16 24010—1[lower-alpha 1]0260
2016–17 23120602[lower-alpha 1]1332
Total 471306031592
Al-Hilal 2017–18 501040—100
2018–19 253001428[lower-alpha 2]0475
2019–20 14260303[lower-alpha 3]0262
2020–21 162006100223
2021–22 22330703[lower-alpha 4]0353
2022–23 22121503[lower-alpha 5]0322
2023–24 17120616[lower-alpha 6]0312
Total 1211214145423020317
Career totals 1681317151426126219
  1. Appearance in Crown Prince Cup
  2. Six appearances in Arab Club Champions Cup, one appearance in Saudi Super Cup, and one appearance in Saudi-Egyptian Super Cup
  3. Appearances in FIFA Club World Cup
  4. One appearance in Saudi Super Cup, and two appearances in FIFA Club World Cup
  5. One appearance in Saudi Super Cup, and two appearances in FIFA Club World Cup
  6. appearances in Arab Club Champions Cup

International
Statistics accurate as of match played 21 March 2024.[18]
Saudi Arabia
YearAppsGoals
2018110
201960
202020
202180
2022130
202371
202451
Total522
No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1 8 September 2023St James' Park, Newcastle, England Costa Rica1–21–3Friendly
2 16 January 2024Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan, Qatar Oman2–12–12023 AFC Asian Cup

Honours
Al Hilal

Individual

  • AFC Asian Cup Team of the Tournament: 2023[19]

References
  1. Ali Al-Bulaihi at Soccerway
  2. "FIFA Club World Cup Qatar 2019: List of Players: Al Hilal SFC" (PDF). FIFA. 5 December 2019. p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 December 2019.
  3. "Ali Al-Bulaihi". Saudi Pro League. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  4. "علي هادي آل بليهي - Ali Al-Boleahi".
  5. "Son Heung-min involved in clash with Saudi player who has already confronted Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo". SPORTbible. 31 January 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  6. "메시 도발했던 사우디 선수, 손흥민 머리채 잡고 황희찬 목 조르고". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). 31 January 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  7. "النجم علي البليهي من ملعب نادي البكيرية إلى الملاعب العالمية".
  8. ""الفتح" يوقع مع "البليهي".. ويواجه "الترجي" ودياً غداً". 23 July 2015.
  9. "الهلال السعودي يعلن ضم مدافع الفتح". 9 July 2019.
  10. "Watch: Cristiano Ronaldo red-carded for elbowing Saudi Super Cup soccer foe". 9 April 2024.
  11. Soliman, Seif (4 June 2018). "Saudi Arabia announce final 23-man World Cup squad". kingfut.com. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  12. "Uruguay 1–0 Saudi Arabia". FIFA. 20 June 2018.
  13. "Renard announces the national team list for the World Cup 2022 in Qatar". Saudi Arabian Football Federation. 11 November 2022. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  14. "'You won't win' - What Saudi Arabia defender Ali Al-Bulayhi said to Lionel Messi during shock victory over Argentina". Goal.com. 22 November 2022.
  15. "Son Heung-min involved in clash with Saudi player who has already confronted Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo". SPORTbible. 31 January 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  16. "메시 도발했던 사우디 선수, 손흥민 머리채 잡고 황희찬 목 조르고". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). 31 January 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  17. "Ali Al-Bulaihi". Soccerway.
  18. Ali Al-Bulaihi at National-Football-Teams.com
  19. "Team of the Tournament". Instagram.com. AFC Asian Cup. 12 February 2024. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
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