Saudi international footballer Fahad al-Muwallad, 30, has been placed in intensive care after falling from the balcony of his second-storey residence in Dubai, according to Saudi and Emirati authorities.
Muwallad, who played in the 2018 World Cup but was barred from the 2022 tournament due to a doping ban, was on holiday in Dubai when the accident occurred on Thursday.
The Dubai government media office confirmed that Muwallad is receiving intensive care in a hospital, and the Saudi consulate in Dubai stated that it is following investigations by the Dubai police into the incident. Saudi newspaper Al-Madina mentioned “criminal suspicions” surrounding the fall, though details remain unclear.
Muwallad currently plays for Saudi club Al-Shabab, whose captain has traveled to Dubai to check on his condition.
Throughout his career, the striker has earned 74 international caps, scoring 17 goals, though he has also served two doping bans, the latest of which ended in September 2023.