Areej Ahmed Mohammed Salim Al Hammadi (born 13 February 1986) is an Emirati association football player who plays as a midfielder.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Areej Ahmed Mohammed Salim Al Hammadi | ||
| Date of birth | 13 February 1986 | ||
| Place of birth | Dubai, United Arab Emirates | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Onyx FC | ||
| Number | 13 | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2015–2016 | Al Wahda | ||
| 2016–2021 | Abu Dhabi Country Club | ||
| 2021–2022 | La Liga FC | ||
| 2022– | Onyx FC | ||
| International career‡ | |||
| 2017– | United Arab Emirates | 41 | (1) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 27 May 2021 | |||
Club career edit
Al Hammadi began her career playing with her family and in tournaments that allowed for women's participation. She then played for her university's women's team, before playing in seven-a-side community leagues, such as the Dubai Women's Football Association where she was scouted for the national team.[1][2]
She began her professional career with Al Wahda before moving to Abu Dhabi Country Club in July 2016.[3] She appeared at the 2019 WAFF Women's Clubs Championship in Aqaba, Jordan with the Abu Dhabi Country Club, scoring a brace to lead the team to victory in its final group game.
She played with the Fuelees team in Neymar Jr's Five, a five-a-side tournament.[4]
In 2022, she played with Onyx FC in the UAE Women's Football League, finishing second.[5]
International career edit
In August 2015, Al Hammadi won her first cap for United Arab Emirates. She participated in the 2015 Aphrodite Cup in Cyprus, the 2018 AFC Women's Asian Cup qualification in Tajikistan, and the 2019 WAFF Women's Championship in Bahrain.[6]
She participated in qualifying for the 2022 Asian Cup, though the UAE failed to make the finals.[7]
Al Hammadi has also trained and played for the UAE national futsal team.[4]
Personal life edit
Al Hammadi holds a Guinness World Record for most "hotstepper" ball control tricks in one minute, repeating the trick 86 times. She decided to learn the skill while many gyms were closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.[8]
She works as a creative project manager and advocates for female representation in sport. Previously, she has worked in broadcast for Dubai Media and in creative services at Viz Artist.[1]
Al Hammadi is sponsored by Adidas. She has cited Johan Cruyff as influential to her play.[9]
International goals edit
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 22 August 2021 | Theyab Awana Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates |  Maldives |
1–0 | 5–1 | Friendly |
References edit
- ^ a b Gibson, Francesca (4 August 2020). "Meet the UAE's female footballer who is a Guinness World Record holder". Cosmopolitan ME. Archived from the original on 13 September 2023.
- ^ Balf, Celia (3 March 2022). "As women's soccer rises in the UAE, multiple generations come together". Just Women's Sports. Archived from the original on 1 June 2023.
- ^ Wahab, Mosaad Abdel (6 September 2021). "Female Emirati footballer Areej says 'Our country does not know the impossible' on Expo 2020 Dubai". Gulf Today. Archived from the original on 20 September 2021.
- ^ a b Webster, Nick (11 April 2021). "Neymar tournament inspires Emirati player to expand women's football". The National News. Archived from the original on 27 June 2023.
- ^ "🥈 proud of this team". Instagram. Archived from the original on 23 October 2023.
- ^ "A Journey of Passion and Perseverance in Women's Football". Areej Al Hammadi. Archived from the original on 23 March 2023.
- ^ "UAE women's football team beat Maldives 5-1 ahead of Asian Cup qualifiers". Khaleej Times. 23 August 2021. Archived from the original on 2 July 2022.
- ^ Sharma, Karina (3 August 2020). "Watch This Emirati Female Footballer Break a Guinness World Record". Vogue ME. Archived from the original on 23 March 2023.
- ^ "أريج الحمادي: تنظيم دوري للمحترفات أقصر طريق لتطوير كرة القدم النسائية". Emarat Al-youm. Archived from the original on 15 August 2023.
External links edit
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