Ali Saleh (footballer)

Ali Saleh (Arabic: علي صالح‎; born 22 January 2000) is an Emirati professional footballer who plays for Al Wasl Club and the UAE National Football Team as a forward. Ali was awarded the 2018-19 Arabian Gulf League’s Golden Boy Award. He made his debut in 2016, the day after his 16th birthday to become the youngest player to feature in the Arabian Gulf League. Saleh is currently being trained as one of the young upcoming stars to participate in the 2022 FIFA World Cup with the UAE National Team. Ali is also signed as an official Nike Athlete for the next couple of years.

Ali Saleh
Personal information
Full name Ali Saleh Amro
Date of birth (2000-01-22) 22 January 2000
Place of birth Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Height 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Playing position(s) Forward
Club information
Current team
 Al-Wasl
Number 7
Youth career
2006–2016 Al-Wasl
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016– Al-Wasl 33 (10)
National team‡
2018 United Arab Emirates U19 3 (3)
2019– United Arab Emirates 4 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 19:44, 4 June 2019 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 22:11 21 October 2019 (UTC)

Ali started his career at Al Wasl Club at the age of 6. Around the age of 13 he was benched for an entire season without a minute of playing time. This filled Ali with doubt and made him question his skills as a footballer. However, with the constant support of his father, Ali stayed patient and continued to work hard. He made his comeback at 16 years old against Al Ain FC and entered the history books of UAE football as the youngest-ever to play in the club's First Team.

Early life

Ali Saleh was born in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. His father is a UAE national and his mother from Edinburgh, Scotland.[1] Ali is the eldest of 4 siblings. He has 1 brother and 2 sisters. The family would often spend the summer months of Dubai in Scotland.

At a very young age Ali would constantly be playing football in his compound. He drew attention to his father once he realized his sons’ potential to go professional.

Club career

Ali Saleh joined Al Wasl FC in 2006 and has played for Al Wasl's under-14, under-15, under-16 clubs. He was then selected to play in the club's First team at the early age of 16, which lead him to be the youngest draft to the First Team in UAE history.

International career

Ali was selected to play on the UAE National Team in 2019, at the age of 19.

International goals
Scores and results list the United Arab Emirates' goal tally first.[2]
No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
—31 August 2019Bahrain National Stadium, Riffa, Bahrain Sri Lanka5–15–1Unofficial friendly

Style of Play

Ali plays as a forward and is known for his speedy footwork on the field. He is also recognized for his excellent ball control, shooting skills and on-pitch positioning.

Outside Football

Ali Saleh is attending American University in the Emirates, majoring in International Relations. Ali also spends a lot of his time with family and dog Zeus. He is also a huge sneaker collector.

Media

Ali Saleh has been interviewed by numerous publication such as The National and Gulf News. He also was recorded live in the studio with Dubai Eye 103.8 discussing his recent Golden Boy Award title.

In May 2019, Gulf News writes up an exclusive on Ali Saleh and label him as 'UAE football's boy to become king'. The article is accompanied by a raw video where Ali talks about his life.

In November 2019, Ali was featured on the cover of Esquire Middle East magazine. He was named the one of the top ten people who will help shape the region over the next decade.

December 2019, Ali did a collaboration with sports magazine, Sports 360 and Cadillac on the release of the new XT6, which was released this February.

Sponsorships

In May 2019 Ali signed an exclusive long term contract with sportswear company Nike.

Club Season League Cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Al-Wasl 2015–16 UAE Pro-League 4000–0040
2016–17 111[lower-alpha 1]0–0021
2017–18 1112[lower-alpha 1]05[lower-alpha 2]000181
2018–19 1752[lower-alpha 1]15[lower-alpha 2]01[lower-alpha 3]1257
Career total 3375110011499
Notes
  1. Appearances in the UAE League Cup
  2. Appearances in the AFC Champions League
  3. Appearances in the Arab Club Champions Cup
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References
  1. Lomas, Mark (23 December 2019). "Ali Saleh: Meet the half-Scottish 'Golden Boy' starring for UAE". BBC Sport. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
  2. "Ali Saleh". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmerman. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
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