Who is Salem Al-Dawsari, the sorcerer who “bewitched” Messi and annulled him?

One afternoon, days after winning the Saudi Arabian Super Cup and adding 7 titles with Al-Hilal, André Carrillo answered the phone to talk about that record and its future. If it was in his plans to look for another league and take a leap. The Peruvian striker, with that adolescent voice that comes out of his throat despite being 31 years old, was respectful and didactic. And in that brevity, he entrusted me with a name that today is news above Messi. “People believe that nothing here is rigorous and they are wrong. He is very competitive. And I’ll tell you something: I play with a 10 which is a machine. His name is Salem and he breaks it.

Now the world knows.

Salem Al-Dawsari is, the DT journalist Marco Quilca explains to me, one of Carrillo’s 8 teammates who started against Argentina. Let’s say it well: eight authors of this blow that has broken the exaggerated peace that a sector of journalism in that country spoke of, with two drops of pride, on the route that the team of Lionel Messi and Lionel Scaloni had towards the final. It seemed that he just had to show up, be in the field draw and that’s it. He won 2-0.

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The world cups are the elite and for that reason, a showcase. Salem Al-Dawsari, except for the 2017-2018 season when he went to Villarreal, has spent his entire career at Al-Hilal, where he has scored 73 goals, some of which have this stamp that is impossible to tackle even for giants like ‘Dibu ‘ Martinez: hitch for his skillful leg, and furious instep to the angle. At 31 years old, he has defended his team in all possible events and has 19 goals. I emphasize the goal because it comes naturally to him, between his position as left winger and midfielder. And I emphasize again because, even if one is a champion of kicks, only the goal rules. The rest is ornament.

With his thin beard and rubber foot, Salem Al-Dawsari will be on the front page of every newspaper today. Notable footballers occur in all leagues – you just have to find time to track down and see them.

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