Salem Al-Dosari, captain of the Saudi national team, made a special effort to meet a Pakistani child named Shes Saji at the team’s hotel in Islamabad on Wednesday. The Saudi team is scheduled to face Pakistan on Thursday, needing just one point to officially qualify for the third and final stage of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, after Qatar, Japan, Iran, Uzbekistan, Iraq, the UAE, and Australia.
A video circulated on social media showcasing the child Shes Saji expressing his dream of meeting Al-Dosari. Social media users reacted positively, showing a desire to help Shes realize his dream.
In response, the Saudi team management arranged for Saji to visit the “Green” team's accommodation in Islamabad and meet the star Al-Dosari, who took commemorative photos with the child and presented him with a signed jersey of the national team.
Al-Dosari also tweeted in Urdu (the official language of Pakistan), expressing his happiness in Pakistan and looking forward to the match at Jinnah Stadium the following day.
Al-Dosari is expected to start in the match on Thursday, which will take place at Jinnah Stadium in Islamabad as part of the fifth round of qualifiers for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup and the 2026 World Cup. The Saudi national team currently leads Group G in the second round of World Cup qualifiers with 10 points, followed by Jordan with 7 points, Tajikistan with 5 points, and Pakistan in last place with 0 points.
