Desert Draxler shines in Qatar, but the league remains a problem

Julian Draxler, the 58‑time German international, found his way to Qatar in September 2023 and has been playing for Al‑Ahli SC ever since, where he has already in just a few appearances continues to dominate the league, although his class seems too great for the local competition.

Career in Germany and Europe

Julian Draxler's star once rose sharply at FC Schalke 04 and was supposed to end in a world‑class career. The 58‑time international collected his first major successes there before moving on after spells at VfL Wolfsburg, Paris Saint‑Germain and Benfica Lisbon.

After his time in the European top clubs, Draxler moved to Qatar in September 2023 and joined Al‑Ahli SC. There he immediately showed that his abilities are a notch too high for the Qatar Stars League.

Success in the Qatar Stars League

In his first season in Qatar, Draxler scored six goals and provided four assists in eleven league matches, a clear sign of his superiority.

In the 2024/25 season he further raised his output: twelve goals and nine assists, a total of 21 goal involvements, accounting for roughly 55 percent of all his club's goals.

The following 2025/26 season yielded seven goals and three assists in 20 appearances.

Even in the ongoing 2026/27 season Draxler remains in top form: three goals and one assist in just five games, again representing about 40 percent of the club's total goal involvements.

With 28 goals in 51 league matches so far, Draxler sits at rank 46 on the league's all‑time top scorer list and is aiming for the top‑30.

Overall, he has recorded 30 goals and 22 assists in 69 official matches for Al‑Ahli SC, an impressive record.

Team and League Context

The Qatar Stars League consists of twelve teams. In the previous season Draxler's club finished only ninth. Currently, after five games with seven points, the team sits in sixth place.