Mohammed al-Deayea

Mohammed Deayea al-Shammari, known as Mohammed al-Deayea (born 1972), is a Saudi football goalkeeper. He played for al-Tai FC and al-Hilal SFC and represented all Saudi national teams. He is considered one of the prominent goalkeepers in the history of Saudi sport.

Mohammed al-Deayea was born in Hail into a sports-oriented family. He began his career as a handball goalkeeper for al-Tai FC at the age of eight. Upon the request of the football coach for the club's juniors, he switched to football. He joined al-Tai SFC's junior team in 1988, where he showcased his talent, leading to his selection for the Saudi junior national team. With this team, he won the FIFA U-16 World Championship in Scotland in 1989. He later joined the youth national team and, in 1993, the senior Saudi national team. Al-Deayea played a crucial role in helping the national team qualify for the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the United States, where he delivered outstanding performances. In 1999, al-Hilal SFC signed him in a highly publicized deal in the Saudi sports media. Al-Deayea continued to guard al-Hilal SFC's goal until his retirement from football in 2010, after a career spanning twenty-two years. In 2012, a testimonial match was held in his honor against Italy's Juventus and al-Hilal SFC.

Mohammed al-Deayea played as a goalkeeper for the Saudi national team in 178 international matches, participating in three consecutive FIFA World Cup tournaments in 1994, 1998, and 2002. He won numerous championships with his club, al-Hilal SFC, and achieved many personal accolades, including Best Goalkeeper in the Palestine Cup in Baghdad (1989), Best Goalkeeper in the International Friendship Cup in Oman (1989), Third Best Goalkeeper worldwide in the preliminary round of the FIFA World Cup (1993), a FIFA award as one of the top ten goalkeepers in the World Cup (1994), Best Goalkeeper in the AFC Asian Cup (1996), selection among the best players in Asia (1996), Best Goalkeeper in the Gulf Cup (1998), being named among the top ten goalkeepers in the world after the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France, and participation with World Stars against Europe Stars in a match for the stars of the 1998 FIFA World Cup.

Mohammed al-Deayea received the Best Goalkeeper award in the AFC Asian Cup in 2000, and was named Asia's Goalkeeper of the Century the same year. He also won the Best Goalkeeper award in the Gulf Club Cup in 2000, the Arab Club Championship in 2001, the International Friendship Cup in 2001, the Gulf Cup in 2002, and the Asian Cup Winners' Cup in 2002. In 2004, the Italian newspaper "Lucopese" listed him as the seventh-best goalkeeper in the world.

In 2006, the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) inducted him into the Guinness World Records as the player with the most international appearances, making him the world’s most-capped player. FIFA named him the best Asian goalkeeper in history, and he was ranked thirty-fourth among the best and most famous goalkeepers worldwide by the IFFHS. In 2020, the Asian Football Confederation included him in the all-time best Asian World Cup team based on statistics and fan votes.

Al-Deayea is the only Asian and Arab goalkeeper to be dubbed a legend by FIFA's official website. He was named Best Goalkeeper in the Saudi Professional League for the 2007 and 2008 seasons, and was recognized as one of the top ten goalkeepers in football history by CNN. Additionally, he received al-Muftaha Award for Best Athlete in 2010.

Mohammed al-Deayea has been bestowed with numerous titles by fans and the sport media in recognition of his achievements, including: The Dean of World Players, The Golden Hands, The Legend, The Octopus, and The Master of Asian Goalkeepers.