Saudi Arabia World Cup 2026 Squad — Players, Manager & Group

Shock of the century — Saudi Arabia beat Argentina 2-1 in 2022

Saudi Arabia shocked Argentina 2-1 at the 2022 World Cup in one of the greatest upsets in tournament history. That result changed everything — suddenly the world took Saudi football seriously and billions of oil money began flowing into the Saudi Pro League to attract global stars. Whether that investment has improved the national team is a different question entirely.

Salem Al-Dawsari — still the man who scored that goal

Salem Al-Dawsari is the best player Saudi Arabia have and the man who scored that famous goal against Argentina in Qatar. At 32 he is at the end of his peak but still the most technically gifted player in the squad and the one who can make things happen when Saudi Arabia need inspiration.

Saud Abdulhamid — the only Saudi player in a top European league

Saud Abdulhamid of Roma is the only Saudi player currently playing in a top European league and his inclusion gives the team a rare level of European experience. His performances for Roma this season have been solid and he brings defensive quality and composure that most of his international team mates simply do not have.

Group H is extremely tough — Saudi Arabia are fighting for survival

Group H is extremely tough. Spain are one of the tournament favourites. Uruguay under Bielsa are dangerous and experienced. Cape Verde are making their debut but are organised and motivated. Saudi Arabia are realistically fighting for third place and hoping to accumulate enough points to sneak into the Round of 32 as one of the best third placed teams.

Georgios Donis — new manager, almost no preparation time

The new manager Georgios Donis took charge just weeks before the tournament which is far from ideal preparation. The Greek coach knows the Saudi Pro League well from previous coaching spells but taking over a national team with almost no preparation time before a World Cup is an enormous challenge.

An Arab nation under enormous pressure and scrutiny

Saudi Arabia's World Cup campaign will be watched with enormous interest across the Arab world. The pressure on the players is significant — this is not just football, it is national pride at the highest level. How they respond to that pressure will tell us a great deal about how much the game has really developed in the country.

Who is in Saudi Arabia's World Cup 2026 squad?

Full 26-man squad listed above including Salem Al-Dawsari and Saud Abdulhamid.

Who is Saudi Arabia's manager at World Cup 2026?

Georgios Donis, who took charge in April 2026.

What group are Saudi Arabia in at World Cup 2026?

Group H with Spain, Uruguay and Cape Verde.

When do Saudi Arabia play their first World Cup game?

June 16 vs Uruguay at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami.

Did Saudi Arabia beat Argentina at the last World Cup?

Yes — one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history, 2-1 in Qatar 2022.