Abdelkarim Hassan: Qatar defender joins Al-Shamal from Al-Wakrah in Stars League move

Qatar international defender Abdelkarim Hassan has joined Al-Shamal SC from Al-Wakrah SC in a completed Stars League transfer. The 32-year-old left-back, born in Doha and of Qatari-Sudanese background, makes the switch within the Qatari top flight after two seasons with Al-Wakrah.

Hassan, a tall, left-footed defender who stands at 1.86m, arrives at Al-Shamal with extensive experience in domestic and continental competitions. Across the Stars League and cup tournaments he has amassed more than 200 league appearances, contributing 28 goals and 22 assists from defence, as well as featuring regularly in the AFC Champions League and at the FIFA Club World Cup.

His move to Al-Shamal follows a spell at Al-Wakrah that began in 2024, when he joined from Iranian champions Persepolis FC. Hassan had earlier signed for Persepolis from Kuwaiti side Al-Jahra, having left long-time club Al-Sadd, where he first broke through after graduating from ASPIRE Academy.

Hassan’s honours list includes the 2019 Asian Cup and the 2013 West Asian Championship with Qatar, underlining his pedigree at international level. At club level he has been part of an AFC Champions League-winning side with Al-Sadd and collected multiple Qatari league and cup titles, as well as a league championship in Iran with Persepolis in 2023-24.

Individual recognition has also followed, with awards such as Best Young Player at Al-Sadd and a Player of the Year accolade during his peak years in Asian competition.

Hassan’s transfer, completed on 16 July 2026, sees him registered as an Al-Shamal SC player for the new Stars League campaign.