Saudi Arabia national football team
Nickname(s) | الصقور العربية (as-Suqūr Al-‘Arabiyyah, "Arabian Falcons") الصقور الخضر (as-Suqūr al-Khoḍur, "The Green Falcons") الأخضر (al-'Akhḍar, "The Green") | ||
---|---|---|---|
Association | Saudi Arabian Football Federation | ||
Confederation | AFC (Asia) | ||
Sub-confederation | WAFF (West Asia) | ||
Head coach | Hervé Renard | ||
Captain | Salem Al-Dawsari | ||
Most caps | Mohamed Al-Deayea (173)[1] | ||
Top scorer | Majed Abdullah (72)[2] | ||
Home stadium | Various | ||
FIFA code | KSA | ||
| |||
FIFA ranking | |||
Current | 59 (28 November 2024)[3] | ||
Highest | 21 (July 2004) | ||
Lowest | 126 (December 2012) | ||
First international | |||
Lebanon 1–1 Saudi Arabia (Beirut, Lebanon; 18 January 1957) | |||
Biggest win | |||
East Timor 0–10 Saudi Arabia (Dili, Timor-Leste; 17 November 2015) | |||
Biggest defeat | |||
United Arab Republic 13–0 Saudi Arabia (Casablanca, Morocco; 3 September 1961) | |||
World Cup | |||
Appearances | 6 (first in 1994) | ||
Best result | Round of 16 (1994) | ||
Asian Cup | |||
Appearances | 12 (first in 1984) | ||
Best result | Champions (1984, 1988, 1996) | ||
Arab Cup | |||
Appearances | 7 (first in 1985) | ||
Best result | Champions (1998, 2002) | ||
Arabian Gulf Cup | |||
Appearances | 24 (first in 1970) | ||
Best result | Champions (1994, 2002, 2003–04) | ||
WAFF Championship | |||
Appearances | 3 (first in 2012) | ||
Best result | Group stage (2012, 2014, 2019) | ||
Confederations Cup | |||
Appearances | 4 (first in 1992) | ||
Best result | Runners-up (1992) | ||
Medal record | |||
Website | saff.sa |
The Saudi Arabia national football team (SAFF) (Arabic: المنتخب السُّعُودِيّ لِكُرَّةُ الْقَدَم) represents Saudi Arabia in men's international football. They are known as Al-Suqour Al-Arabiyyah (Arabian Falcons) and sometimes Al-Suqour Al-Khodhur (The Green Falcons), a reference to their traditional colours of green and white, and represent both FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
Considered one of Asia's most successful national teams, Saudi Arabia have won the AFC Asian Cup three times (1984, 1988 and 1996), reached a joint record six Asian Cup finals and have qualified for the FIFA World Cup on seven occasions since debuting at the 1994 tournament. Saudi Arabia are the first Asian team to reach the final of a senior FIFA competition at the 1992 King Fahd Cup, which would eventually become the FIFA Confederations Cup. Only Australia and Japan managed to repeat this feat in 1997 and 2001 respectively, though Australia achieved it when they were a member of the OFC.
At the 1994 World Cup, under the leadership of Jorge Solari, Saudi Arabia beat both Belgium and Morocco in the group stage before falling to Sweden in the round of 16. Thus, they became the second Arab team in history to reach the knockout stage of a World Cup after Morocco in 1986 and 2022, and one of the few Asian national football teams (the others being Australia, Japan, South Korea and North Korea) to accomplish such a feat to date. During the 2022 World Cup, Saudi Arabia caused a large upset when they beat eventual champions Argentina 2–1, the first time Argentina lost to an Asian representative at the World Cup. However, Saudi Arabia then lost the following matches against Poland and Mexico to finish last.
In 2027, Saudi Arabia will host the AFC Asian Cup, the first time that the nation has ever hosted the Asian Cup.[5] They will also host the 2034 FIFA World Cup.[6]
History
[edit]Early history (1951–1955)
[edit]The idea of a Saudi national team first came about in 1951, when a Saudi XI team consisting of players from Al-Wehda and Al-Ahli took part in a friendly game against the Egyptian Ministry of Health on 27 June at the Al-Saban Stadium in Jeddah. The following day, the Egyptians took on a Saudi team made up of players from Al-Ittihad and Al-Hilal in Al-Bahri in the same city. On 2 August, His Royal Highness Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal organized a third friendly with the Egyptian team against Saudi Arabia with players from Al-Wehda, and Al-Ahli. By then, the idea of a national select team to represent the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was already in full flow, and in 1953 the first-ever Saudi team traveled to play friendly matches abroad. The same year, a Saudi team traveled to Damascus to play friendly matches as part of then-Crown Prince Saud bin Abdulaziz's visit to the country in April.[7]
In 1957, the Saudi national team took part in their first international tournament at the 2nd Pan-Arab Games in Beirut, where King Saud was invited to attend the opening ceremony and the inauguration of the Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium with Lebanese President Camille Chamoun on 18 October. Abdulmajeed Kayal scored for the Saudis while Levon Altonian netted for the home side.[8]
Debuting successes and subsequent declines (1956–2016)
[edit]Though their football federation was established in 1956, the Saudi Arabia national team did not participate in a tournament until they qualified for the AFC Asian Cup in 1984, becoming Asian champions for the first time.[9] Since then, they reached the next four consecutive Asian Cup finals, winning two of them (1988 and 1996).[10][11] They have qualified for every AFC Asian Cup since, reaching the final in the 2007 edition.[12]
Saudi Arabia qualified for their first FIFA World Cup in 1994 under the leadership of Argentine manager Jorge Solari and talents like Saeed Al-Owairan and Sami Al-Jaber, reinforced by national veteran Majed Abdullah as team captain. Wins against Belgium and Morocco in the group stage led to a match-up against Sweden in the round of 16, a 3–1 loss.[13] Saudi Arabia qualified for the next three World Cups, but failed to win a match in any of them; in 1998, the team suffered an agonizing group stage elimination for the first time after only a draw was achieved, which occurred against South Africa. The team placed last in 2002 without scoring a goal, while conceding 12, including eight against Germany, the most humiliating World Cup performance ever by an Asian team since 1954, and the team saw no improvement in 2006 after winning only a single point against Arab rival Tunisia, and squandering a 2–1 lead in the last minutes before losing to Ukraine.[14]
After the 2007 AFC Asian Cup, Saudi Arabia suffered even further setbacks. The Saudis failed to qualify for the 2010 World Cup in agonizing playoffs that saw them again give up their 2–1 lead to a 2–2 draw to neighbor Bahrain.[15] In the 2011 Asian Cup, the Saudis went on to have their worst-ever Asian Cup performance in history, losing all three games in a shocking style to Syria, Jordan and Japan.[16] Later on, Saudi Arabia failed to qualify for the 2014 World Cup, finishing behind Australia and Oman in the third round. This embarrassing record kept following the Saudis into the 2015 AFC Asian Cup, as the Saudis suffered another group stage exit, this time losing to China and Uzbekistan. They only won against North Korea.
Revival (2017–present)
[edit]Saudi Arabia secured qualification for the 2018 World Cup, their first in 12 years,[17] ahead of Australia. In the first match of Group A and the tournament, Saudi Arabia were crushed by hosts Russia 5–0,[18] making this the second largest victory of any host.[19] Saudi Arabia then lost 1–0 to a Luis Suárez goal that put Uruguay as the eventual group winners.[20] Although they were already eliminated,[21] Saudi Arabia managed to win their final group stage match against Red Sea neighbours Egypt 2–1, coming back from behind after a Mohamed Salah goal.[22]
After the 2018 World Cup, Saudi Arabia participated in the 2019 Asian Cup, held in the United Arab Emirates; the team finished second in the group stage, after falling to Qatar in the final game,[23] leading to a showdown against Japan in the round of 16. The Saudis dominated the whole game, but ultimately lost 1–0 due to poor finishing.[24]
On 15 October 2019, Saudi Arabia played its first-ever game with Palestine in the West Bank; the game marked a change in policy for Saudi Arabia, which has previously played matches against the Palestinian team in third-party countries. The visit was condemned by some Palestinian activists, who considered the game as a start of normalizing the relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, but it was viewed by the Palestinian National Authority as a support for their sovereignty over the West Bank.[25] The game ended in a scoreless draw.[26]
Saudi Arabia qualified for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the first to be held in the Middle East, by topping their qualifying group and were drawn against Argentina, Poland and Mexico.[27] In their opening game, they upset Argentina 2–1 within the first five minutes of second half with goals from Saleh Al-Shehri and Salem Al-Dawsari, ending an Argentine unbeaten streak of 36 games dating back to 2019. The Saudi King declared a holiday after the win and Saudi fans celebrated with mocking words against Lionel Messi and the Argentine team.[28][29] In the next match against Poland, Piotr Zieliński broke Saudi hearts with a goal in the 39th minute and Robert Lewandowski scored his first World Cup goal; between these two goals also included a missed opportunity by Salem Al-Dawsari as the Saudis could not capitalise from their domination, losing 2–0.[30] This required a win against Mexico to advance to the round of 16 regardless of the Argentina–Poland result. Fielding three strikers in front, Saudi Arabia however were unable to exert any domination over the Mexican side, conceding two early second half goals by Henry Martín and Luis Chávez, the second being a thunderous midfield free kick; a late consolation goal by Salem Al-Dawsari was not enough as Saudi Arabia fell 2–1 and were eliminated after finishing last in Group C.[31]
Saudi Arabia, under new manager Roberto Mancini, entered the 2023 Asian Cup with a sense of bitter pride from their World Cup performance, finding itself in Group F with Oman, Kyrgyzstan and Thailand. The Saudis started their campaign with a 2–1 comeback win over neighbour Oman, where Abdulrahman Ghareeb scored from a solo before a late Ali Al-Bulaihi's header sealed the dramatic win.[32] They then achieved a 2–0 win over Kyrgyzstan, where the Saudis were dominant from beginning to end against a nine-man squad.[33] The Saudis rested most of their key players as they held Thailand in a goalless draw to advance and top the group, putting the Saudis against fellow Asian titan South Korea in the last sixteen.[34] Against South Korea, Abdullah Radif opened the scoring in the first minute of the second half, but after conceding a Cho Gue-sung header in the ninth minute of second-half stoppage time, the game was determined by a penalty shootout after 30 minutes of extra time, where the Saudis lost 4–2 on penalties and were eliminated.[35]
Kits and crests
[edit]Traditionally, Saudi Arabia's home kit is white with a green trim, and the away kit is green with a white trim (the Saudi flag colors).[36] From 2023, the team had a color kit reversal where green is the home kit, and white is their away kit.
Kit suppliers
[edit]Kit supplier | Period |
---|---|
Admiral | 1976–1979 |
Puma | 1980–1984 |
Faisok | 1985–1989 |
Adidas | 1990–1993 |
Shammel | 1994–2000 |
Adidas | 2001–2003 |
Le Coq Sportif | 2004–2005 |
Puma | 2006–2010 |
Nike[37] | 2011–2022 |
Adidas[38] | 2023–present |
Rivalries
[edit]This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (November 2024) |
Saudi Arabia's main rivals are mostly from the Persian Gulf, notably Iran, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates.
Due to historical reasons, matches against Iran have been frequently followed and seen by Saudis as the most important rival. This stems from the strong hatred between Saudi Arabia and Iran, in particular in recent years due to historical enmities. Saudi Arabia has won 4 matches, drew 6 times, and lost 5 against Iran. It is one of the ten most heated rivalries with political influence.[39][40]
Saudi Arabia's rivalry against Iraq began in the 1970s. Due to the Gulf War, in which Iraq invaded Saudi Arabia's ally Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Iraq eventually became bitter rivals fighting to salvage Arab pride.[41] The two countries since then have been up-and-down in relations, often ranging from lack of cooperation to political confrontation. Iraq almost pulled out of the 21st Arabian Gulf Cup after the country was disallowed to host the competition in a move believed to be motivated by Saudi Arabia.[42][43]
Outside the Middle East, the Saudis also have established rivalries with South Korea, Japan (including two Asian Cup finals) and most recently Australia.[citation needed]
Venues
[edit]Historically, Saudi Arabia played most of their home matches in King Fahd Sports City, located in the capital Riyadh. The stadium was also where some of Saudi Arabia's most important fixtures were played when the country hosted the first three King Fahd Cups (the predecessor of the Confederations Cup). The stadium was also home to some of Saudi Arabia's matches in the World Cup qualifiers.
Saudi Arabia started to diversify the use of venues from outside Riyadh in the 2000s, with the 2002 World Cup qualifying first round being played in Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium in Dammam and the second round being played entirely in Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium. In the 2006 World Cup qualifying second round against Sri Lanka and the first fixture against Uzbekistan in the third round, Saudi Arabia also played in Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium.[citation needed]
Results and fixtures
[edit]The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.
Win Draw Loss Fixture
2024
[edit]4 January Friendly | Saudi Arabia | 1–0 | Lebanon | Al Wakrah, Qatar |
16:30 UTC+3 |
|
Report | Stadium: Al Janoub Stadium Attendance: 0 |
9 January Friendly | Palestine | 0–0 | Saudi Arabia | Doha, Qatar |
18:30 UTC+3 | Report Report (SAFF) |
|
Stadium: Al Janoub Stadium Attendance: 0 |
10 January Friendly | Saudi Arabia | 2–0 | Hong Kong | Al Wakrah, Qatar |
18:30 UTC+3 | Stadium: Al Janoub Stadium |
16 January 2023 AFC Asian Cup GS | Saudi Arabia | 2–1 | Oman | Al Rayyan, Qatar |
20:30 UTC+3 |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Khalifa International Stadium Attendance: 41,987 Referee: Shaun Evans (Australia) |
21 January 2023 AFC Asian Cup GS | Kyrgyzstan | 0–2 | Saudi Arabia | Al Rayyan, Qatar |
20:30 UTC+3 | Report | Stadium: Ahmad bin Ali Stadium Attendance: 39,557 Referee: Jumpei Iida (Japan) |
25 January 2023 AFC Asian Cup GS | Saudi Arabia | 0–0 | Thailand | Al Rayyan, Qatar |
18:00 UTC+3 | Report | Stadium: Education City Stadium Attendance: 38,773 Referee: Kim Hee-gon (South Korea) |
30 January 2023 AFC Asian Cup Round of 16 | Saudi Arabia | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (2–4 p) | South Korea | Al Rayyan, Qatar |
19:00 UTC+3 |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Education City Stadium Attendance: 42,389 Referee: Ilgiz Tantashev (Uzbekistan) |
Penalties | ||||
21 March 2026 World Cup qualification | Saudi Arabia | 1–0 | Tajikistan | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
22:00 UTC+3 |
|
Report (FIFA) Report (AFC) |
Stadium: Al-Awwal Park Attendance: 18,755 Referee: Muhammad Taqi (Singapore) |
26 March 2026 World Cup qualification | Tajikistan | 1–1 | Saudi Arabia | Dushanbe, Tajikistan |
20:00 UTC+5 |
|
Report (FIFA) Report (AFC) |
|
Stadium: Pamir Stadium Attendance: 13,300 Referee: Kim Jong-hyeok (South Korea) |
6 June 2026 World Cup qualification | Pakistan | 0–3 | Saudi Arabia | Islamabad, Pakistan |
20:30 UTC+5 | Report (FIFA) Report (AFC) |
|
Stadium: Jinnah Sports Stadium Attendance: 20,124 Referee: Ammar Mahfoodh (Bahrain) |
11 June 2026 World Cup qualification | Saudi Arabia | 1–2 | Jordan | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
21:00 UTC+3 |
|
Report (FIFA) Report (AFC) |
|
Stadium: King Saud University Stadium Attendance: 17,871 Referee: Adel Al-Naqbi (United Arab Emirates) |
5 September 2026 World Cup qualification R3 | Saudi Arabia | 1–1 | Indonesia | Jeddah, Saudi Arabia |
21:00 UTC+3 |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: King Abdullah Sports City Attendance: 42,385 Referee: Adham Makhadmeh (Jordan) |
10 September 2026 World Cup qualification R3 | China | 1–2 | Saudi Arabia | Dalian, China |
20:00 UTC+8 | Report |
|
Stadium: Dalian Suoyuwan Football Stadium Attendance: 48,628 Referee: Nasrullo Kabirov (Tajikistan) |
10 October 2026 World Cup qualification R3 | Saudi Arabia | 0–2 | Japan | Jeddah, Saudi Arabia |
21:00 UTC+3 | Report | Stadium: King Abdullah Sports City Attendance: 65,000 Referee: Kim Jong-hyeok (South Korea) |
15 October 2026 World Cup qualification R3 | Saudi Arabia | 0–0 | Bahrain | Jeddah, Saudi Arabia |
21:00 UTC+3 | Stadium: King Abdullah Sports City Attendance: 35,437 Referee: Salman Falahi (Qatar) |
14 November 2026 World Cup qualification R3 | Australia | 0–0 | Saudi Arabia | Melbourne, Australia |
20:10 UTC+11 | Stadium: Melbourne Rectangular Stadium |
19 November 2026 World Cup qualification R3 | Indonesia | 2–0 | Saudi Arabia | Jakarta, Indonesia |
19:00 UTC+7 |
|
Stadium: Gelora Bung Karno Stadium Referee: Rustam Lutfullin (Uzbekistan) |
22 December 26th Arabian Gulf Cup | Saudi Arabia | – | Bahrain | Kuwait City, Kuwait |
20:30 | Stadium: Jaber International Stadium |
25 December 26th Arabian Gulf Cup | Yemen | – | Saudi Arabia | Sulaibikhat, Kuwait |
17:25 | Stadium: Sulaibikhat Stadium |
28 December 26th Arabian Gulf Cup | Iraq | – | Saudi Arabia | Kuwait City, Kuwait |
17:30 | Stadium: Jaber International Stadium |
Coaching staff
[edit]- As of 27 October 2024
Position | Name | Ref. |
---|---|---|
Head coach | Hervé Renard | |
Assistant coaches | David Ducci | |
Yaya Touré | [44] | |
Alexandre Kerveillant | ||
François Rodrigues | ||
Goalkeeping coach | Saad Al-Thani | |
Technical coach | Osama Hawsawi | |
Trainer | Jawad Al-Ghamdi | |
Ayoub Al-Qahtani | ||
Scout | Thamer Sulaiman | |
Technical director | Nasser Larguet | [44] |
Coaching history
[edit]No. | Coach | Nat | First match | Last match | Pld | W | D | L | Win % |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Abdulrahman Fawzi | 18 October 1957 | 6 September 1961 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 16.67% | |
2 | Ali Chaouach | 1 December 1967 | 17 January 1969 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50.00% | |
3 | George Skinner | 28 March 1970 | 2 April 1970 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0.00% | |
4 | Taha Ismail | 16 March 1972 | 28 March 1972 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 66.67% | |
5 | Abdo Saleh El Wahsh | 6 March 1974 | 29 March 1974 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 66.67% | |
6 | Ferenc Puskás | 21 November 1975 | 11 April 1976 | 16 | 5 | 1 | 10 | 31.25% | |
7 | Bill McGarry | 5 September 1976 | 22 April 1977 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 25.00% | |
8 | Ronnie Allen | 15 November 1978 | 14 December 1978 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0.00% | |
9 | David Woodfield | 24 March 1979 | 8 April 1979 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 50.00% | |
10 | Rubens Minelli | 30 January 1980 | 19 December 1981 | 22 | 9 | 3 | 10 | 40.91% | |
11 | Mário Zagallo | 21 March 1982 | 17 March 1984 | 17 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 41.18% | |
12 | Khalil Ibrahim Al-Zayani | 20 March 1984 | 5 April 1986 | 39 | 19 | 9 | 11 | 48.72% | |
13 | Carlos Castilho | 7 September 1986 | 5 October 1986 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 57.14% | |
14 | Omar Borrás | 17 February 1988 | 18 March 1988 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 28.57% | |
15 | Carlos Alberto Parreira (1) | 21 April 1988 | 28 October 1989 | 26 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 38.46% | |
16 | Paulo Massa | 24 September 1990 | 1 October 1990 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 66.67% | |
17 | Nelsinho Rosa | 11 September 1992 | 10 December 1992 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 50.00% | |
18 | Candinho | 9 April 1993 | 24 October 1993 | 19 | 12 | 5 | 2 | 63.16% | |
19 | Mohammed Al-Kharashy (1) | 28 October 1993 | 28 October 1993 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | |
20 | Leo Beenhakker | 23 January 1994 | 9 February 1994 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 25.00% | |
21 | Jorge Solari | 26 March 1994 | 3 July 1994 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 33.33% | |
22 | Ivo Wortmann | 1 October 1994 | 13 October 1994 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 60.00% | |
23 | Mohammed Al-Kharashy (2) | 19 October 1994 | 8 January 1995 | 11 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 54.54% | |
24 | Zé Mário | 8 October 1995 | 27 October 1996 | 20 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 45.00% | |
25 | Nelo Vingada | 6 November 1996 | 11 October 1997 | 25 | 16 | 6 | 3 | 64.00% | |
26 | Otto Pfister (1) | 17 October 1997 | 16 December 1997 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 37.50% | |
27 | Carlos Alberto Parreira (2) | 22 February 1998 | 18 June 1998 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 20.00% | |
28 | Mohammed Al-Kharashy (3) | 24 June 1998 | 24 June 1998 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00% | |
29 | Otto Pfister (2) | 11 September 1998 | 11 November 1998 | 11 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 81.81% | |
30 | Milan Máčala | 18 June 1999 | 14 October 2000 | 26 | 11 | 6 | 9 | 42.31% | |
31 | Nasser Al-Johar (1) | 17 October 2000 | 19 February 2001 | 13 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 84.61% | |
32 | Slobodan Santrač | 10 July 2001 | 24 August 2001 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 42.86% | |
33 | Nasser Al-Johar (2) | 31 August 2001 | 11 June 2002 | 23 | 13 | 2 | 8 | 56.52% | |
34 | Gerard van der Lem | 17 December 2002 | 26 July 2004 | 26 | 17 | 6 | 3 | 65.38% | |
35 | Martin Koopman | 30 December 2002 | 30 December 2002 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | |
36 | Nasser Al-Johar (3) | 1 September 2004 | 17 November 2004 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 60.00% | |
37 | Gabriel Calderón | 11 December 2004 | 8 December 2005 | 19 | 8 | 4 | 7 | 42.11% | |
38 | Marcos Paquetá | 18 January 2006 | 27 January 2007 | 30 | 13 | 7 | 10 | 43.33% | |
39 | Hélio dos Anjos | 24 June 2007 | 7 June 2008 | 22 | 15 | 3 | 4 | 68.18% | |
40 | Nasser Al-Johar (4) | 14 June 2008 | 11 February 2009 | 18 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 55.55% | |
41 | José Peseiro | 22 March 2009 | 9 January 2011 | 31 | 12 | 12 | 7 | 38.71% | |
42 | Nasser Al-Johar (5) | 13 January 2011 | 17 January 2011 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.00% | |
43 | Rogério Lourenço | 13 July 2011 | 28 July 2011 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 50.00% | |
44 | Frank Rijkaard | 2 September 2011 | 12 January 2013 | 17 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 23.53% | |
45 | Khalid Al-Koroni | 9 December 2012 | 15 December 2012 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 33.33% | |
46 | Juan Ramón López Caro | 6 February 2013 | 26 November 2014 | 19 | 9 | 4 | 6 | 47.37% | |
47 | Cosmin Olăroiu | 30 December 2014 | 18 January 2015 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 25.00% | |
48 | Faisal Al Baden | 30 March 2015 | 11 June 2015 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | |
49 | Bert van Marwijk | 3 September 2015 | 9 November 2017 | 20 | 13 | 4 | 3 | 65.00% | |
50 | Edgardo Bauza | 10 November 2017 | 13 November 2017 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.00% | |
51 | Krunoslav Jurčić | 22 December 2017 | 28 December 2017 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 33.33% | |
52 | Juan Antonio Pizzi | 26 February 2018 | 21 January 2019 | 22 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 31.82% | |
53 | Youssef Anbar | 21 March 2019 | 25 March 2019 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50.00% | |
54 | Hervé Renard (1) | 5 September 2019 | 28 March 2023 | 45 | 20 | 10 | 15 | 44.45% | |
55 | Laurent Bonadéi[a] | 1 December 2021 | 7 December 2021 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0.00% | |
56 | Saad Al-Shehri[b] | 6 January 2023 | 23 August 2023 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 33.33% | |
57 | Roberto Mancini | 28 August 2023 | 24 October 2024 | 18 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 38.89% | |
58 | Hervé Renard (2) | 27 October 2024 | Present | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 00.00% |
- Notes
- ^ The assistant coach, Laurent Bonadéi took charge of the national team temporarily for the 2021 FIFA Arab Cup.
- ^ The assistant coach, Saad Al-Shehri took charge of the national team temporarily for the 25th Arabian Gulf Cup. He was once again named interim coach following Hervé Renard's resignation.
Players
[edit]Current squad
[edit]The following 27 players were called up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification games against Australia and Indonesia on 14 and 19 November 2024, respectively.[45]
Caps and goals are correct as of 19 November 2024, after the match against Indonesia, as recognized by SAFF.
Recent call-ups
[edit]The following players have also been called up to the Saudi Arabia squad within the last 12 months.
Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GK | Raghed Al-Najjar | 20 September 1996 | 1 | 0 | Al-Nassr | v. Bahrain, 15 October 2024 |
GK | Mohammed Al-Owais | 10 October 1991 | 58 | 0 | Al-Hilal | v. China, 10 September 2024 |
GK | Nawaf Al-Aqidi | 10 May 2000 | 4 | 0 | Al-Nassr | 2023 AFC Asian Cup WD |
DF | Abdulelah Al-Amri | 15 January 1997 | 28 | 1 | Al-Ittihad | v. Australia, 14 November 2024INJ |
DF | Hassan Kadesh | 27 September 1992 | 11 | 2 | Al-Ittihad | v. Bahrain, 15 October 2024 |
DF | Rayan Hamed | 13 April 2002 | 3 | 0 | Al-Ahli | v. Bahrain, 15 October 2024 |
DF | Hussain Al-Sibyani | 24 June 2001 | 1 | 0 | Al-Shabab | v. Bahrain, 15 October 2024 |
DF | Meshal Al-Sebyani | 11 April 2001 | 2 | 0 | Al-Ettifaq | v. Japan, 10 October 2024 |
DF | Moteb Al-Harbi | 20 February 2000 | 7 | 0 | Al-Hilal | v. Indonesia, 5 September 2024 |
DF | Mohammed Al-Breik | 15 September 1992 | 46 | 1 | Neom | v. Jordan, 11 June 2024 |
DF | Mohammed Al-Fatil | 4 January 1992 | 15 | 1 | Al-Nassr | v. Tajikistan, 26 March 2024 |
DF | Fawaz Al-Sqoor | 23 April 1996 | 5 | 0 | Al-Ittihad | v. Tajikistan, 26 March 2024 |
DF | Waleed Al-Ahmed | 3 May 1999 | 2 | 0 | Al-Taawoun | v. Tajikistan, 21 March 2024 INJ |
MF | Salem Al-Dawsari | 19 August 1991 | 90 | 23 | Al-Hilal | v. Australia, 14 November 2024INJ |
MF | Salman Al-Faraj | 1 August 1989 | 73 | 9 | Neom | v. Australia, 14 November 2024INJ |
MF | Abdulellah Al-Malki | 11 October 1994 | 36 | 0 | Al-Ettifaq | v. Australia, 14 November 2024INJ |
MF | Abdulrahman Ghareeb | 31 March 1997 | 31 | 3 | Al-Nassr | v. Bahrain, 15 October 2024 |
MF | Ayman Yahya | 14 May 2001 | 13 | 0 | Al-Nassr | v. Bahrain, 15 October 2024 |
MF | Ali Al-Asmari | 12 January 1997 | 5 | 0 | Al-Ahli | v. Bahrain, 15 October 2024 |
MF | Hamed Al-Ghamdi | 2 April 1999 | 3 | 0 | Al-Ittihad | v. Bahrain, 15 October 2024 |
MF | Fahad Al-Muwallad | 14 September 1994 | 80 | 17 | Al-Shabab | v. China, 10 September 2024 |
MF | Mukhtar Ali | 30 October 1997 | 13 | 0 | Al-Nassr | v. China, 10 September 2024 |
MF | Abbas Al-Hassan | 22 February 2004 | 4 | 0 | Neom | v. Indonesia, 5 September 2024 |
MF | Sami Al-Najei | 7 February 1997 | 22 | 2 | Al-Nassr | v. Jordan, 11 June 2024 |
MF | Eid Al-Muwallad | 14 December 2001 | 2 | 0 | Al-Okhdood | 2023 AFC Asian Cup |
MF | Ali Hazazi | 18 February 1994 | 8 | 0 | Al-Qadsiah | 2023 AFC Asian Cup PRE |
MF | Khalid Al-Ghannam | 7 November 2000 | 3 | 0 | Al-Hilal | 2023 AFC Asian Cup PRE |
FW | Mohammed Maran | 15 February 2001 | 8 | 0 | Al-Nassr | v. Bahrain, 15 October 2024 |
FW | Talal Haji | 16 September 2007 | 1 | 0 | Al-Ittihad | 2023 AFC Asian Cup |
|
Player records
[edit]- As of 20 November 2018[46]
- Statistics include official FIFA-recognised matches only
- Players in bold are still active with Saudi Arabia.
Most appearances
[edit]Rank | Player | Caps | Goals | Career |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Mohamed Al-Deayea[i] | 173 | 0 | 1993–2006 |
2 | Mohammed Al-Khilaiwi | 163 | 3 | 1990–2001 |
3 | Sami Al-Jaber | 156 | 46 | 1992–2006 |
4 | Abdullah Zubromawi | 142 | 3 | 1993–2002 |
5 | Osama Hawsawi | 138 | 7 | 2006–2018 |
Hussein Abdulghani | 138 | 5 | 1996–2018 | |
7 | Taisir Al-Jassim | 134 | 19 | 2004–2018 |
8 | Saud Kariri | 133 | 7 | 2001–2015 |
9 | Mohamed Abd Al-Jawad | 121 | 7 | 1981–1994 |
10 | Mohammad Al-Shalhoub | 118 | 19 | 2000–2018 |
Top goalscorers
[edit]Rank | Player | Goals | Caps | Ratio | Career |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Majed Abdullah | 72 | 116 | 0.61 | 1978–1994 |
2 | Sami Al-Jaber | 46 | 156 | 0.29 | 1992–2006 |
3 | Yasser Al-Qahtani | 42 | 108 | 0.39 | 2002–2013 |
4 | Obeid Al-Dosari | 41 | 94 | 0.44 | 1994–2002 |
5 | Talal Al-Meshal | 32 | 60 | 0.53 | 1998–2006 |
6 | Mohammad Al-Sahlawi | 28 | 42 | 0.67 | 2010–2018 |
Khaled Al-Muwallid | 28 | 114 | 0.25 | 1988–1998 | |
8 | Hamzah Idris | 26 | 66 | 0.39 | 1992–2000 |
Fahad Al-Mehallel | 26 | 87 | 0.3 | 1992–1999 | |
10 | Saeed Al-Owairan | 24 | 75 | 0.32 | 1992–1998 |
Ibrahim Al-Shahrani | 24 | 86 | 0.28 | 1997–2005 |
Competitive record
[edit]- *Denotes draws includes knockout matches decided on penalty shootouts. Red border indicates that the tournament was hosted on home soil. Gold, silver, bronze backgrounds indicate 1st, 2nd and 3rd finishes respectively. Bold text indicates best finish in tournament.
Champion Runners-up Third place
Overview | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Event | 1st Place | 2nd Place | 3rd Place | |
FIFA Confederations Cup | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
FIFA Arab Cup | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
AFC Asian Cup | 3 | 3 | 0 | |
Arabian Gulf Cup | 3 | 7 | 8 | |
Asian Games | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
Arab Games | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
Total | 9 | 14 | 11 |
FIFA World Cup
[edit]FIFA World Cup record | Qualification record | |||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Round | Pos. | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | ||
1930 to 1954 | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | ||||||||||||||
1958 to 1974 | Did not enter | Did not enter | ||||||||||||||
1978 | Did not qualify | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 7 | |||||||||
1982 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 16 | ||||||||||
1986 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||||||||||
1990 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 9 | ||||||||||
1994 | Round of 16 | 12th | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 28 | 7 | ||
1998 | Group stage | 28th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 14 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 26 | 7 | ||
2002 | 32nd | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 14 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 47 | 8 | |||
2006 | 28th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 12 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 24 | 2 | |||
2010 | Did not qualify | 16 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 25 | 15 | |||||||||
2014 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 14 | 7 | ||||||||||
2018 | Group stage | 26th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 18 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 45 | 14 | ||
2022 | 25th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 18 | 13 | 4 | 1 | 34 | 10 | |||
2026 | Qualification in progress | 12 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 15 | 9 | |||||||||
2030 | TBD | TBD | ||||||||||||||
2034 | Qualified as hosts | Qualified as hosts | ||||||||||||||
Total | Round of 16 | 6/17 | 19 | 4 | 2 | 13 | 14 | 44 | 142 | 84 | 34 | 24 | 277 | 107 |
AFC Asian Cup
[edit]AFC Asian Cup record | Qualification record | |||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Result | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | ||
1956 | Not an AFC member | Not an AFC member | ||||||||||||||
1960 | ||||||||||||||||
1964 | ||||||||||||||||
1968 | ||||||||||||||||
1972 | ||||||||||||||||
1976 | Withdrew | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 5 | |||||||||
1980 | Withdrew | |||||||||||||||
1984 | Champions | 1st | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | ||
1988 | Champions | 1st | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 1 | Automatic qualification as champions | |||||||
1992 | Runners-up | 2nd | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 3 | Automatic qualification as champions | |||||||
1996 | Champions | 1st | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | ||
2000 | Runners-up | 2nd | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 8 | Automatic qualification as champions | |||||||
2004 | Group stage | 13th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 1 | ||
2007 | Runners-up | 2nd | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 21 | 4 | ||
2011 | Group stage | 15th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 8 | Automatic qualification as runners-up | |||||||
2015 | 10th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 3 | |||
2019 | Round of 16 | 12th | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 28 | 4 | ||
2023 | 9th | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 22 | 4 | |||
2027 | Qualified as hosts | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 3 | |||||||||
Total | 3 Titles | 12/19 | 52 | 23 | 15 | 14 | 74 | 50 | 54 | 43 | 7 | 4 | 164 | 24 |
FIFA Arab Cup
[edit]FIFA Arab Cup record | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Result | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
1963 | Did not enter | |||||||
1964 | ||||||||
1966 | ||||||||
1985 | Third place | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 3 | |
1988 | Group stage | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | |
1992 | Runners-up | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 5 | |
1998 | Champions | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 3 | |
2002 | Champions | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 3 | |
2009 | Cancelled | |||||||
2012 | Fourth place | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 5 | |
2021 | Group stage | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
Total | 7/10 | 29 | 14 | 7 | 8 | 45 | 26 |
West Asian Football Federation Championship
[edit]WAFF Championship record | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Round | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
2000 | Did not participate | |||||||
2002 | ||||||||
2004 | ||||||||
2007 | ||||||||
2008 | ||||||||
2010 | ||||||||
2012 | Group stage | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
2014 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||
2019 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | ||
2023 | Qualified | |||||||
Total | 4/10 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 10 |
Arabian Gulf Cup
[edit]Arabian Gulf Cup record | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Result | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
1970 | Third place | 3rd | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
1972 | Runners-up | 2nd | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 2 |
1974 | Runners-up | 2nd | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 6 |
1976 | Group stage | 5th | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 14 |
1979 | Third place | 3rd | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 14 | 4 |
1982 | Group stage | 4th | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 4 |
1984 | Third place | 3rd | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 8 |
1986 | Third place | 3rd | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 9 |
1988 | Third place | 3rd | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 4 |
1990 | Withdrew | |||||||
1992 | Third place | 3rd | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 4 |
1994 | Champions | 1st | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 4 |
1996 | Third place | 3rd | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 6 |
1998 | Runners-up | 2nd | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 2 |
2002 | Champions | 1st | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 3 |
2003–04 | Champions | 1st | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 2 |
2004 | Group stage | 5th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 5 |
2007 | Third place | 3rd | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 |
2009 | Runners-up | 2nd | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
2010 | Runners-up | 2nd | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 2 |
2013 | Group stage | 5th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
2014 | Runners-up | 2nd | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 5 |
2017–18 | Group stage | 6th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
2019 | Runners-up | 2nd | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 5 |
2023 | Group stage | 6th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
2024 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Total | 3 Titles | 24/25 | 112 | 57 | 25 | 30 | 166 | 106 |
Arab Games
[edit]Arab Games record | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Result | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
1953 | Did not enter | |||||||
1957 | Group stage | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | |
1961 | Fifth place | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 38 | |
1965 | Did not enter | |||||||
1976 | Runners-up | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 4 | |
1985 | Fourth place | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | |
1997 | Did not enter | |||||||
1999 | First round | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
2007 | Third place | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 5 | |
2011 | First round | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
2023–present | See Saudi Arabia national under-23 football team | |||||||
Total | 7/10 | 26 | 9 | 5 | 12 | 30 | 58 |
- *Denotes draws and includes knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.
Asian Games
[edit]Asian Games record | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
1951 | Did not enter | ||||||||
1954 | |||||||||
1958 | |||||||||
1962 | |||||||||
1966 | |||||||||
1970 | |||||||||
1974 | |||||||||
1978 | Group stage | 10th | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | |
1982 | Semi-finals | Third place | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 4 | |
1986 | Final | Runners-up | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 6 | |
1990 | Quarter-finals | 5th | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | |
1994 | Quarter-finals | 5th | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 10 | |
1998 | Did not enter | ||||||||
2002–present | See Saudi Arabia national under-23 football team | ||||||||
Total | Final | 5/13 | 23 | 11 | 7 | 5 | 34 | 24 |
FIFA Confederations Cup
[edit]FIFA Confederations Cup record | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
1992 | Runners-up | 2nd | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | |
1995 | Group stage | 5th | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | |
1997 | 7th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 8 | ||
1999 | Fourth place | 4th | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 16 | |
2001 | Did not qualify | ||||||||
2003 | |||||||||
2005 | |||||||||
2009 | |||||||||
2013 | |||||||||
2017 | |||||||||
Total | Runners-up | 4/10 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 13 | 31 |
All-time results
[edit]The following table shows Saudi Arabia's all-time international record, correct as of 19 November 2024.
Against | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | GF | GA | GD |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total | 735 | 344 | 167 | 214 | 1099 | 773 | +326 |
Honours
[edit]Worldwide
[edit]- FIFA Confederations Cup
- Runners-up (1): 1992
Intercontinental
[edit]Continental
[edit]Regional
[edit]- Arabian Gulf Cup
- Arab Cup:
- Arab Games
- Islamic Solidarity Games
- Gold medal (1): 2005
Summary
[edit]Only official senior honours are included, according to FIFA statutes (competitions organized/recognized by FIFA or an affiliated confederation).
Senior Competition | Total | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
FIFA Confederations Cup | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
AFC Asian Cup | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
Afro-Asian Cup of Nations | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
Total | 3 | 6 | 0 | 9 |
- Notes
- Competition organized by the OCA, officially not recognized by FIFA.
- The 1992 Arab Cup also counted as an edition of the Arab Games.
Titles
[edit]AFC Asian Cup
[edit]Arab Cup
[edit]Arabian Gulf Cup
[edit]References
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