Footballer Saud Abdulhamid Makes Historic Serie A Debut for Roma

Saud Abdulhamid became the first Saudi Arabian player to play in Serie A. The 25-year-old defender made his debut for AS Roma during their 1-0 defeat to Napoli at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.

Abdulhamid entered the game as a second-half substitute in the 78th minute, replacing Mehmet Zeki Celik. Despite his appearance, Roma were unable to mount a comeback, suffering their third consecutive loss in Serie A. The result leaves the club in 12th place in the league, with just 13 points from 13 matches.

This match marked Abdulhamid's third appearance for Roma after his summer move from Saudi club Al Hilal. The transfer fee, reportedly EUR 2.5 million, could rise to EUR 3 million with add-ons based on performance. Abdulhamid, who became the first Saudi player to secure a permanent move to one of Europe's top leagues, has previously appeared in two Europa League games for the Italian side.

Abdulhamid’s international experience includes 41 caps for Saudi Arabia, including a key role in the national team’s recent World Cup qualification campaign. He also played in all three of Saudi Arabia’s group-stage matches at the 2022 World Cup, including their famous 2-1 win over eventual champions Argentina.