Sami Al-Najei

1. Early Life and Youth Career

Sami Al-Najei was born on February 7, 1997. His early football development took place within the youth system before he transitioned to professional football.

He was a prominent member of the Saudi Arabia U-20 team. In the 2016 AFC U-19 Championship, Al-Najei showcased his scoring prowess by netting four goals, earning him the title of joint top scorer alongside his teammate Abdulrahman Al-Yami. His contributions helped the team reach the final, where they finished as runners-up. The following year, he was part of the squad for the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup. Although he did not make any appearances during the tournament, his participation coincided with Saudi Arabia reaching the Round of 16 for the first time in 23 years, a significant achievement for the nation since the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Al-Najei also featured for the Saudi Arabia U-23 team in the 2018 AFC U-23 Championship.

2. Club Career

Sami Al-Najei's professional club career has primarily been with Al-Nassr, punctuated by two loan spells.

2.1. Al-Nassr: Debut and Early Seasons (2015-2018)

Al-Najei officially joined the Al-Nassr first team in 2016. He made his professional debut on May 8, 2016, coming on as a substitute in the 74th minute against Ittihad and scoring his first goal for the club in that match. Five days later, he played his second match, facing Al-Shabab.

During the 2016-17 season, Al-Najei's first appearance was on October 20, 2016, against Ittihad, where he replaced Yahya Al-Shehri in the 58th minute and received a yellow card. On December 21, 2016, he scored his first goal of the season in the 53rd minute against Al-Fateh. His first start in the starting eleven came on January 1, 2017, against Ettifaq FC. On March 14, 2017, he received a second yellow card against Al-Raed. In these early seasons, Al-Nassr finished third in the Saudi Professional League during both the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons. The club also reached the final of the Saudi Crown Prince Cup in 2016-17, finishing as runner-up.

2.2. Loan Spells (2018-2020)

To gain more playing experience, Al-Najei went on two separate loan spells. For the 2018-19 season, he was loaned to Al-Qadsiah, where he made four appearances in the league. Following this, he was loaned to Damac FC for the 2019-20 season. During his time at Damac FC, he played in 17 league matches and scored one goal in the King Cup.

2.3. Al-Nassr: Return and Subsequent Seasons (2020-present)

After his loan spell with Damac FC concluded at the end of the 2019-20 season, Al-Najei returned to his parent club, Al-Nassr. Since his return, he has become an integral part of the team. In the 2020-21 season, Al-Nassr reached the semi-finals of the Saudi King Cup. Al-Najei also played a role in Al-Nassr winning the 2020 Saudi Super Cup. More recently, he was part of the squad that triumphed in the 2023 Arab Club Champions Cup. His consistent performance led to him being named the Saudi Pro League Young Player of the Month for April and May 2021.

3. International Career

Sami Al-Najei has represented Saudi Arabia at various levels, from youth teams to the senior national squad.

3.1. Youth National Teams

Sami Al-Najei's detailed participation and achievements with Saudi Arabia's youth national teams (U-19, U-20, U-23) are extensively covered in the "Early Life and Youth Career" section of this article. He progressed through these age groups, gaining valuable international experience and making significant contributions, including being a top scorer in the 2016 AFC U-19 Championship.

3.2. Senior National Team

Al-Najei made his debut for the Saudi Arabia senior national team on January 14, 2017, in a friendly match against the Cambodia national team. He entered the match as a substitute in the 76th minute, and Saudi Arabia went on to win the game 7-2.

His first goals for the senior national team came on October 12, 2021, when he scored a brace against the China national team in a 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification match. His two goals helped secure a 3-2 victory for Saudi Arabia.

3.2.1. International Goals

As of October 12, 2021, Sami Al-Najei has scored the following goals for the Saudi Arabia senior national team:

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	October 12, 2021	King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia	China	1-0	3-2	2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
2.	October 12, 2021	King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia	China	2-0	3-2	2022 FIFA World Cup qualification

Club	Season	Pro League		King Cup		Asia		Other		Total
Club	Season	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Al-Nassr	2015-16	2	1	0	0	0	0	-		2	1
	2016-17	9	1	1	1	-		2 (Crown Prince Cup)	0	12	2
	2017-18	9	0	0	0	-		1 (Arab Club Championship)	0	10	0
	2020-21	26	6	3	2	7	0	1 (Saudi Super Cup)	1	37	9
	2021-22	21	2	1	0	3	1	-		25	3
	2022-23	24	2	2	2	-		1 (Saudi Super Cup)	0	27	4
	2023-24	20	1	2	1	8	0	0	0	30	2
	Total	111	13	9	6	18	1	5	1	143	21
Al-Qadsiah (loan)	2018-19	4	0	0	0	-		-		4	0
Damac (loan)	2019-20	17	0	1	1	-		-		18	1
Career total		132	13	10	7	18	1	5	1	165	22