Mohamed Abdullaziz Al-Deayea (born August 2, 1972 in Tabuk) is a Saudi Arabian football goalkeeper. He played in four World Cups for the Saudi Arabia national team, and as of November 2008, he is the world record holder for most international appearances by a male footballer, with 181 caps for Saudi Arabia. He is the current captain of Saudi Premier League club.

Club career

Al-Deayea, born in Ha'il, has split his professional career between the clubs Al-Ta'ee and Al-Hilal. Originally he started as a handball player, but was conviced by his club and his older brother Abdullah to become a footballer. Mohammed was under great pressure in the beginning of his career because of having to fill the shoes of his brother Abdullah, who was an AFC Asian Cup winner and a highly reputed goalkeeper too. In 2001, he was about to be signed for Manchester United as a replacement for Fabien Barthez. Al-Deayea was another goalkeeper who would try to fill the boots of the legendary Peter Schmeichel but did not get a work permit so he stayed at Al-Hilal.

National team

After making his national debut in 1990, in the Asian Games against Bangladesh, Al Deayea rose to prominence and made perhaps his most telling contribution in the 1996 Asian Cup as his penalty heroics won the title for his country.

Al-Deayea helped the Saudi Arabian national team reach the World Cups of 1994, 1998, and 2002. At the 2002 World Cup, he conceded eight goals in a group match against Germany, which tied the highest score against him during his international career; he had also conceded eight goals against Brazil at the 1999 Confederations Cup. Later during the 2002 World Cup, against the Republic of Ireland – his last ever World Cup match –, Al-Deayea tied Antonio Carbajal's record for the most goals conceded by a goalkeeper in the World Cup, with 25.