Saudi Arabia World Cup 2026: More magic needed for Green Falcons to break group hoodoo

The authors of one of the great World Cup shocks against eventual winners Argentina four years ago, Saudi Arabia look to leave an even greater imprint on the 2026 event. They’re also back on the site of their tournament-best performance back at USA ‘94.

Can they repeat such heroics? Read on for my Saudi Arabia World Cup 2026 predictions, a run-down of their squad and a look at their chances in the competition.

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Goalkeepers: Mohammed Al Owais (Al Ula), Nawaf Al Aqidi (Al Nassr), Ahmed Al Kassar (Al Qadsiah)

Defenders: Abdulelah Al Amri (Al Nassr), Hassan Tambakti (Al Hilal), Jehad Thikri (Al Qadsiah), Ali Lajami (Al Hilal), Hassan Kadesh (Al Ittihad), Saud Abdulhamid (Roma), Mohammed Abu Al Shamat (Al Qadsiah), Ali Majrashi (Al Ahli), Moteb Al Harbi (Al Hilal), Nawaf Boushal (Al Nassr), Sultan Al-Ghannam (Al Nassr)

Midfielders: Mohammed Kanno (Al Hilal), Abdullah Al Khaibari (Al Nassr), Ziyad Al Johani (Al Ahli), Nasser Al Dawsari (Al Hilal), Musab Al Juwayr (Al Qadsiah), Alaa Al Hajji (Neom), Salem Al Dawsari (Al Hilal), Khalid Al Ghannam (Al Ettifaq), Ayman Yahya (Al Nassr)

Forwards: Firas Al Buraikan (Al Ahli), Saleh Al Shehri (Al Ittihad), Abdullah Al Hamdan (Al Nassr)

The Green Falcons are World Cup regulars at this point, with the 2026 tournament marking their seventh finals in the last nine editions. And they’re already guaranteed a spot in 2034 as the hosts of the 25th staging.

Not since their first participation back in 1994, though, have they made it beyond the group phase. Saeed Al-Owairan’s iconic goal against Belgium was one of the memorable moments of the USA’s first hosting, booking a knockout spot for the Saudis at the same time.

Yet six straight failures to overcome the group hurdle, and only two wins recorded in that time, doesn’t present the most compelling of evidence that Saudi Arabia is growing as a football nation.

This time they arrive in the States with former Greece international Georgios Donis in charge of a typically home-based squad.

The influx of star foreign players into the Pro League in recent years does provide a potential point of difference this time around due to the reflected experience boasted by some of the national team stars.

Donis, in his 16th job in 24 years and first at international level, is aiming to become the first man since the Argentine Jorge Solari to lead them into World Cup knockout football.

World Cup Odds

The former Blackburn Rovers winger, who was the first Greek player ever to play in the Premier League, was handed the Saudi national job in April on the back of a disappointing spell with Al-Khaleej in the Pro League.

Moreover, his managerial career has drifted somewhat since winning three cups with Al-Hilal between 2015 and 2016. Eight club roles in five countries over the last decade have followed, speaking to the underwhelming, nomadic nature of his leadership record.

Does he have what it takes to get a tune out of a talented but inconsistent group of players which has struggled against most nations of substance in recent years?

Group H Fixtures:

15 June 6pm local (11pm BST) - vs Uruguay (Miami)

21 June 12pm local (5pm BST) - vs Spain (Atlanta)

26 June 7pm local (27 June 1am BST) - vs Cape Verde (Houston)

Player to watch: Salem Al-Dawsari

It was Salem Al-Dawsari who grabbed all the headlines for the Green Falcons four years ago.

His winner against the eventual champions in Lusail was one of the great World Cup stories, but his next goal came as a very late consolation in the defeat to Mexico which ensured they were dumped out of Group C.

In 2026, he remains his nation’s go-to player, with his best two seasons at club level having come in 2023/24 and 2024/25 at Al-Hilal. Scoring 24 and 27 goals respectively, he underlined his position as the best Saudi forward in the sport.

So if his side are to do enough to qualify for the Round of 32, the 26-cap playmaker will again be expected to do a lot of the heavy lifting.

Football Odds

Prediction: Third place in Group H

This is where the ridiculous lottery that is a third-place finish in a 48-team tournament makes the plotting of Saudi Arabia’s chance difficult.

They will almost certainly lose to Spain, and should get little to nothing out of their clash with Uruguay. And that puts a lot of emphasis on the meeting with debutants Cape Verde.

Can the AFC representatives beat the newbies by enough that they’re one of the top eight third-place teams? That’s anyone’s guess. So there is a great emphasis on how they get on against the top two seeds.

My prediction is that they’ll lose their first two matches and be eliminated by the permutations despite a win over the Creoles.