Hassan Al-Haydos is often hailed as the maestro of Qatari football—a living legend whose impact on the game resonates far beyond the pitch. With the distinction of being the most capped Qatari footballer ever and one of the highest goal scorers in the nation’s history, Al-Haydos’s journey is nothing short of remarkable.
From humble beginnings, where his familiarity with sports was limited to tennis, Al-Haydos’s life took a transformative turn in the late 1990s. Introduced to football by his friends, he quickly fell in love with the beautiful game and never looked back. His ascent from an enthusiastic newcomer to a prolific goal scorer is a testament to his dedication and skill.
Known for his remarkable ability to find the back of the net and his unique talent for scoring goals and then resting with a satisfied smile, Hassan Al-Haydos became a symbol of Qatari football dreams. His leadership on and off the field was showcased on the grandest stage of all—the 2022 FIFA World Cup—where he carried the weight of his nation’s aspirations. This is the story of Hassan Al-Haydos: the footballing legend who has captured the hearts of many and continues to inspire the next generation.
Preamble:
Our look into Hassan Al-Haydos’s life starts with a glimpse into his childhood, highlighting the key moments that shaped his early years. We’ll then explore his formative days in Doha, where his unwavering loyalty and leadership began to shine through. Finally, we’ll chart his rise to success as the captain of the Qatar national team and his remarkable achievements in football.
We hope this biography stirs your curiosity and passion for Hassan Al-Haydos’s incredible journey. To give you a visual preview, we’ve included a gallery that traces his evolution from a young boy to a national team star. Hassan Al-Haydos has truly traveled a remarkable path in his football career, and we’re excited for you to discover it.
Yes, everyone knows he has something in common with these football Legends – the likes of Francesco Totti, Ryan Giggs, and Paul Scholes.
What is that thing?… It is a fact that Hassan Al-Haydos is a One Club Man. The Qatar Forward is considered a Legend by fans of his club and country.
In the course of writing about Qatar footballers, we notice a knowledge deficit.
The truth is, not many fans have read a concise version of Hassan Al-Haydos’s Biography, which is quite interesting. So, without further ado, let’s begin.
Hassan Al-Haydos Childhood Story:
For Biography starters, he holds the nickname “Leader of the Qatari Football Dream”. Hassan Al-Haydos was born to an Algerian Mother and a Qatari Dad on the 11th day of December 1990 in Doha, Qatar.
Growing-Up:
Hassan Al Haydos grew up alongside his siblings (brother and sister), whom very little is known about. The Athlete spent most of his boyhood years in Doha, Qatar’s capital. As many would say, where he grew up is also known as the mini version of Dubai.
Hassan Al-Haydos Early Life:
The striker who captains the Qatari national team began his journey in sport by chance. During Hassan Al-Haydos’ early years, he was only interested in playing tennis. Now, let’s tell you how football began for the Al-Sadd Forward.
As a boy, Hassan Al-Haydos had tennis friends who also liked to play soccer. So one day, they invited him to come and play soccer with them. Hassan Al-Haydos, who had never played competitive football before, decided to give it a try.
From the very first day he kicked the soccer ball with his friends as opponents, the youngster loved it and never looked back. This experience of playing the beautiful game (competitively) for the first time changed the course of Hassan Al-Haydos’ life forever.
Week in and week out, his football skills developed day by day as he played the game. It soon led to his absolute love for soccer and the subsequent abandonment of tennis. At that time, the boy from Doha began to dream about playing soccer professionally and representing his country someday.
Hassan Al-Haydos Family Background:
The Qatari professional footballer revealed in an interview that his parents initially objected to his participation in football. Hassan Al-Haydos’ Dad and Mum once gave a condition that their son must finish his studies – which was their number one priority.
If you look back at the history of Qatar football, the game (unlike Golf) wasn’t the mainstay of sports in the mid-1990s. Hassan Al-Haydos chose to play football for a living, and he convinced his parents by making a deal with them. In the words of the Al-Sadd captain;
I convinced my parents that I could strike a balance between playing football and my study.
It is pertinent to state that Hassan Al-Haydos’ parents weren’t the super wealthy type.
Rather, they are persons whose median income from their jobs helped operate a middle-class household. Now, let’s use the next section to explain the ancestry and ethnicity of the football leader.
Hassan Al-Haydos Family Origin:
Yes, everyone knows the Baller was born in Doha and holds Qatari nationality. However, not many soccer fans know about Hassan Al-Haydos Algerian origins. Now, let’s tell you how we got to know about Hassan Al-Haydos North African origins.
Many years ago, in a press statement, Hassan Al-Haydos expressed a wish to represent Algeria, which is the country of his Mother. Sadly, the Algerian Football Federation did not take his wish into consideration.
Hassan Al-Haydos has Algerian family origins, and he (as discussed above) once reached out to request that he play for the country of his Mum’s family.
Put simply, the Doha football player holds Algerian citizenship through his Mother. Here is a map that depicts Hassan Al-Haydos’ origins.
For many who don’t know, Algeria is a North African country with a Saharan desert interior and a Mediterranean coastline.
This country is the ancestral home to footballers celebrities like Riyad Mahrez, Zinedine Zidane, Rayan Ait-Nouri (LB), Houssem Aouar (CM), Yacine Adli (DM), Said Benrahma (LW), etc.
Hassan Al-Haydos Ethnicity:
In the country the footballer was born, the Qataris identify with one of these three ethnic groups. They are; Bedouin Arabs, Hadar, and Afro-Arab.
Al-Sadd’s Athlete, Hassan Al-Haydos, belongs to the Afro-Arab ethnic group. In fact, the captain of the Qatari national team is an Arab of partial Black African descent.
Hassan Al-Haydos Education:
As stated earlier in this bio, he (as a child) convinced his parents of his promise to strike a balance between his school and study.
With this statement, it is confirmed that Hassan Al-Haydos is educated. Like most Qataris, he completed his schooling at both the primary, preparatory, and secondary levels.
To this date, Hassan Al-Haydos haven’t presented any evidence that shows he did attend a university. Very likely, his senior football career with Al-Sadd (which began at 17) must have taken over the time he needed to invest in his university education.
Hassan Al-Haydos Biography – Untold Football Story:
From playing tennis with friends, he unexpectedly found soccer and fell in love with the beautiful game. The game of football influenced his personality traits, which in turn led to his passion for it. In 1998, Hassan Al-Haydos enrolled with the Qatari academy, Al-Sadd.
Al Haydos spent a large part of his childhood at Al Sadd Sports Club. He once revealed that his leadership personality is mostly the result of what he learned at the club. Back then, Al-Haydos’s determination to succeed was expressed in the honours he collected as a kid.
The relationships he formed with the youth coaches of Al Sadd Sports Club also provided him with many life lessons. For example, it also kept him away from problems and unwanted things like crime – which many kids of his age fall victim to.
Road to Fame:
In 2008, the Athlete successfully graduated from the Academy of Al-Sadd. In order to prepare himself for what lay ahead, Hassan Al-Haydos became determined to overcome all obstacles. He, who strikes a balance between study and sports periods, sets goals in his life and pushes himself to achieve them.
What were these goals?… They are no other than showing loyalty to Al-Sadd, including helping them win trophies. Right from the moment of graduating from the club’s academy, Hassan Al-Haydos began fetching trophies for the club. Now, let’s start with the local trophies won.
First, he was among those who won the Qatar Stars League (2006–07); Next came the 2007 Emir of Qatar Cup, then the Qatar Crown Prince Cup, Sheikh Jassem Cup, and the Qatari Stars Cup. Do you know?… The year 2011 was the biggest in Hassan Al-Haydos’ senior career. Let me tell you why!
Do you know?… He helped his club to win the AFC Champions League. For those who don’t know, the ACL is an annual continental Asian club football competition. It is equivalent to the UEFA Champions League but meant for football clubs across the Asian continent.
After winning the competition, Al Sadd SC joined the likes of FC Barcelona (UEFA Champions League winner in 2011) to fight for the FIFA Club World Cup trophy. Do you know?… Hassan Al-Haydos also battled against Santos. This is the Brazilian club that boasts about having Neymar at that time.
Pep Guardiola was in charge of FC Barcelona at that time (the year 2011). At that time, FC Barca had big names like Cesc Fabregas, Pedro, Alexis Sanchez, Thiago Alcantara, Iniesta, Lionel Messi, etc. Al Sadd club achieved a historic achievement by finishing third in the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup.
Hassan Al-Haydos Biography – Success Story:
After winning the 2011 AFC Champions League, the Qatari Forward began his quest to cement his legacy with the club. For Hassan Al-Haydos, one way to achieve this was to mastermind more title victories for his team, avoid injuries and show leadership.
As he helped the team win more local trophies, results began to show early. Examples of these trophies are the Qatar Stars League, Emir of Qatar Cup and Sheikh Jassem Cup. The year 2014 was when Hassan Al-Haydos edged out to become the best footballer in his country. He won a total of 58 out of 104 cast votes.
After the above individual honour, a new Hassan Al-Haydos was born. Suddenly, his goal tally increased, and he became a leader among men. As a captain of both club and country, Al-Haydos led by example by forging many victories through his goals, as shown here.
While many footballers come and exit the club, Hassan Al-Haydos’ remained loyal to Al Sadd SC for more than two decades (24 years and counting). Thanks to his commitment to uplifting his country’s football, his club (Al Sadd SC) established a bigger presence on the continental scene.
Quest for more continental Glory:
Aside from winning the 2011 AFC Champions League and fighting FC Barcelona at the FIFA Club World Championship, he (again) helped Al Sadd SC to win the 2019 Asian Cup title. Hassan Al-Haydos was the man behind this victory. As many would say, he is a great Leader among many great men.
Do you know?… Ex-Barcelona Legend Xavi Hernandes managed Al Sadd SC just after he played for them between 2015 to 2019. Xavi managed the club between 2019 and 2021. As a player, he and Hassan Al-Haydos won four trophies together for Al Sadd SC.
By just having Xavi alone, it is okay to say that Al Sadd SC has produced many distinguished football talents. For many years, these talents have been led by Captain Hassan Al-Haydos. Do you know?… Santi Cazorla, Akram Afif and Ghana’s national team captain, André Ayew, play for Al Sadd SC as of 2022.
At the time of writing Hassan Al-Haydos’ Biography, the Froward is just six days away from captaining his country (Qatar) to play Ecuador at the FIFA World Cup. He joins the likes of Almoez Ali, another superstar who many Qatari soccer fans predicted to be among the top performers of their country.
Truth be told here, Qatar may lack big soccer names like Kylian Mbappe (CF), Kevin De Bruyne, Legendary Cristiano Ronaldo, and Harry Kane. However, the 2022 World Cup host found a player, now retired from International football, they believe was worthy – the person of Hassan Al-Haydos. The rest of his Biography, as we say, is history.
Hassan Al-Haydos Wife:
As of 2022, it is a confirmed fact that the man who captains the host nation (Qatar) at the 2022 FIFA World Cup has tasted love. Hassan Al-Haydos’ Wife and he are proud parents of their daughter. Now, let’s introduce you to Daddy’s Girl.
Daddy’s Girl, as the footballer calls his Daughter, celebrated her first birthday on the 2nd day of October 2015. By celebrating on this date, it implies the Forward and his Wife had their daughter on the 2nd day of October 2014. Hassan Al-Haydos’s child should be in her 8th year at the time of writing this Bio.
Before the memorable 2022 Qatar FIFA World Cup, football fans have always remained inquisitive about the identity of Hassan Al-Haydos’s wife. To this day, the Qatari captain has not given any clue about his love life. Well, we believe it is only a matter of time before he reveals the identity of his partner to fans.
Personal Life:
Getting to know what Hassan Al-Haydos does outside football will help you get a complete picture of him. To this end, many loyal fans of the Qatari Forward have asked;
Who is Hassan Al-Haydos?
Asides from spending most hours of his days playing on the field, the Forward always reserves a special moment for his family. As noticed lately in Hassan Al-Haydos Biography write-up, giving his daughter and wife his time and affection is top priority. Here are the words of the Captain;
“My day is very normal. First, I take my daughter to school. Then, I spend some time with my wife. I am a family man par excellence, except when it is sunset. During sunset, I train with the rest of the team at the club.”
What drives Hassan Al-Haydos:
The Captain of Al Sadd SC is someone who strongly believes in the transformative power of sports in his country. What drives Al-Haydos is his never-ending desire to pursue personal and professional accomplishments for his club and country.
As observed in this biography, football as a sport has changed Hassan Al-Haydos’s life. It has helped him stay away from harm and got him closer to the things that benefit him.
Advise to upcoming footballers:
Al-Haydos advises fellow youngsters not to let anyone discourage them from their football dreams. Also, they must be ready to avoid obstacles, set their goals and try to meet them as early as possible. Behold the Story behind the World Cup Host Captain.
Lifestyle:
When you check his Instagram, FaceBook, and Twitter social media handles, one thing is clear about the 2022 World Cup Host Captain. Hassan Al-Haydos is a typical example of an antidote to showcasing luxury.
The Qatari Striker is not the type of person who makes self-satisfactory talks about his wages which is estimated to be around 5,636,021 Qatari Riyal (annually). On his social media profile, there are no such things as showcasing expensive wristwatches, exotic cars, houses, girls, booze, etc.
Hassan Al-Haydos Family Life:
The World Cup Host Captain lives an adorable life in Doha, together with the members of his household. Hassan is obviously his family’s breadwinner.
While a lack of documentation exists on members of his household (father, mother, brother, sister), we sure know they are proud of what he has become in life.
So far, one of Hassan Al-Haydos’ biggest personal achievements is his ability to meet the demands of his parents. Thankfully, he has long achieved that.
As earlier recalled in this Biography, his Dad and Algerian Mum wanted him to strike a good balance between the sport he loves (Soccer) and his studies.
Today, Hassan Al-Haydos’ Parents (who earlier objected to his participation in soccer) are proud to see their son convince them that he can do everything through Allah’s help. More importantly, they are proud to see him stay away from troubles and controversy all these years.
Who are Hassan Al-Haydos Siblings?
The Qatari Forward considers members of his team as his brothers. Having been with most of them for a long time, he (a Leader) ensures they remain united as one family.
Hassan Al-Haydos revealed that this single factor that had helped Al-Sadd forge many victories and always be at the top.
Untold Facts:
In the final phase of Hassan Al-Haydos Biography, we’ll unveil more information about him. Without further ado, let’s get started.
Hassan Al-Haydos Salary:
The contract he has with Al-Sadd sees him earning the sum of €1,562,400 annually. When this money is converted into Qatar’s local currency, we have 5,636,021 Qatari Riyal. This table breaks down Hassan Al-Haydos Salary.
How rich is the Qatari World Cup Host Captain?
Let’s answer this question by making comparisons between ordinary Qatari people and football forwards.
Where Hassan Al-Haydos’ Family lives, the average Qatar person makes around 156,000 riyals annually. Such a person would need 36 years to make his yearly salary with Al Sadd SC.
Hassan Al-Haydos FIFA:
The Right Winger who captains Al Sadd SC joins the likes of many footballers of Afro-Arab who are highly underrated by EA.
Just like Wahbi Khazri and Yousseff Msakni, Al-Haydos’ FIFA ratings are below a reflection of his real-life abilities. He (at 31) deserves more than a 72 overall and potential ratings.
Hassan Al-Haydos Religion:
The Al Sadd SC Athlete was born and raised as a devoted Muslim. Hassan Al-Haydos identifies with Islam as his religion. He does important duties of a Muslim, like fasting in the month of Ramadan, prayer and charity to the less privileged.
EndNote:
Hassan Al-Haydos was born on the 11th day of December 1990. He, like Ryo Miyaichi and Roman Pavlyuchenko, arrived as a Sagittarius.
Hassan Al-Haydos is the son of an Algerian Mother. He, who is of the Afro-Arab ethnic group, spent his childhood years in Doha, Qatar.
The man who took the big responsibility of leading Qatar at the 2022 FIFA World Cup was initially a tennis lover. Al-Haydos played tennis with his childhood friends, most of whom were soccer fans. Hassan’s life changed when his friends invited him to play competitive soccer with them.
From the moment he played a competitive soccer game, he never looked back at loving tennis more than soccer. Initially, Hassan Al-Haydos parents did not fancy the idea of his participation in sports. This is similar to Nayef Aguerd did in his youth. The youngster convinced them that he could strike a balance between sports and his education.
1998 was the year Hassan Al-Haydos decided to pursue a career in soccer. He spent a large part of his boyhood years at the Doha-based Al Sadd Soccer Academy. Al-Haydos became a professional footballer at the age of 17 in 2007. A year later, he joined the Qatar national team.
Since becoming a senior player in 2018, the Forward has won 20 trophies for Al Sadd SC. Xavi won seven trophies with Hassan Al-Haydos as a Manager. However, as a player, Xavi Hernández had four trophies with Al-Sadd.
A big honour he won was the 2011 AFC Champions League. Hassan, like Didier Drogba (in 2012), took the last penalty kick in the final against Jeonbuk Hyundai of South Korea.
This is a top South Korean club that once boasted of having big names like Kim Min-jae. As I conclude this Bio, Al-Haydos is set to captain Qatar at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Just like Manor Solomon is for Israel, Hassan Al-Haydos is one of the most valued footballers in his country.
Appreciation Note:
Thank you for taking the time to read our version of Hassan Al-Haydos Biography. We strive for accuracy and fairness in our quest to serve you Asian Soccer Stories. Kindly let us know (via comments) if you notice anything that doesn’t look right in Hassan Al-Haydos’ Bio.
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Aside from the Hassan Al-Haydos Bio, we’ve got other interesting Asian Football Stories for you. Undoubtedly, the Life History of Sardar Azmoun and Firas Al-Buraikan will excite you.