“Weak point”.. Lamin Yamal turns Salem Al-Dosari into satirical material.

Saudi Arabia captain Salem Al-Dosari has been at the center of widespread controversy on social media platforms following Al-Akhdari’s heavy defeat against Spain in the 2026 World Cup.

“Al Akhdar” lost to El Matador (0-4) in the second round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Controversy erupted in the first half following a clash between Al-Dossari and young Spanish star Lamine Yamal, when the Saudi Arabia captain tried to grab the ball from the La Roja winger before a one-on-one confrontation ended with him falling on the pitch and Yamal continuing to hold onto the ball.

The image quickly went viral on the X platform, where thousands of users re-shared it, accompanied by sarcastic comments and scathing criticism from the Al Akhdar captain, especially given the modest performance of the Saudi Arabian team throughout the match.

Some fans saw the shot as summing up the physical and technical difference between the two teams during the game, while others went on to describe Salem Al-Dossari as the “weak point” of the game, stressing that the captain failed to make his usual attacking mark amid Spain’s heavy dominance.

The comments didn’t stop at technical criticism, with some followers expressing sarcastic sympathy for the player after a head-to-head confrontation with Yamal, who played well and was a constant source of irritation for the Saudi defense throughout the match.

A number of fans also recalled the famous confrontation between Saudi Arabia and Spain in the 2006 World Cup and compared the performance of Mohamed Nour against the previous generation of Spain and the performance of the Green players in the current confrontation, considering that the team lacked personality and ability to keep up with the opponent.

The heavy loss to Spain increased the pressure on Saudi Arabia’s stars, led by Salem Al-Dossari, one of the most recognizable names in Saudi football history over the past decade, after leading Al-Akhdar to many milestones, most notably their historic victory over Argentina at the 2022 World Cup.

Despite the wave of criticism and jeers directed at the player, Saudi fans are expecting a strong response from the national team captain in the next clash against Cape Verde, a game that could decide Al-Akhdar’s fate in the tournament and give him a chance to regain confidence after a difficult night against Spain’s El Matador.