Al Ahli’s Ali Majrashi at centre of Saudi football speculation

Ali Majrashi has become the focus of intense speculation after missing Al Ahli’s pre-season training camp in Portugal, with neither the club nor the player offering an official explanation for his continued absence.

The uncertainty has grown since the end of the holiday granted to Al Ahli’s players who represented Saudi Arabia at the 2026 World Cup. Firas Al-Braikan, Ziyad Al-Juhani and Abdulrahman Al-Sanbi have all joined the squad at the camp, but Majrashi remains absent.

No announcement has been made to explain why the player has not reported for duty, leaving supporters and media outlets to draw their own conclusions.

A number of conflicting claims have circulated on social media. Some have linked Majrashi’s absence to a legal issue, while others have suggested that he is refusing to join training as he considers a move to one of Al Ahli’s rivals, either Al Hilal or Al Nassr.

However, there is currently no official evidence to support any of those accounts.

The silence surrounding the situation has been particularly notable because several journalists known to be close to Al Ahli have refrained from publishing details. Instead, they have called for respect for Majrashi’s privacy and warned against sharing unverified information.

That lack of clarity has become the central issue. The longer Al Ahli go without explaining the circumstances, the more room there is for speculation to spread. In the absence of confirmed information, some of the rumours have begun to be treated as fact, despite having no official source.

The timing of Majrashi’s absence has also increased the level of interest. Al Ahli are preparing for a season in which they are expected to compete for every available trophy, making the unexplained absence of an important player a significant talking point among supporters and the wider Saudi football media.

Majrashi now remains the person best placed to bring the speculation to an end, either by appearing at Al Ahli’s camp or by explaining what has happened. Until then, the story is likely to remain defined by competing accounts rather than confirmed facts.

For now, all the claims being circulated remain unproven.

Related: Al Ahli supporters call for the appointment of a “teacher” for Matthias Jaissle.

Related: Saudi Football Federation continue to part company with leading players as another departure is announced.