Saudi Arabia World Cup 2026 Squad: Final 26-Player List
Saudi Arabia changed coaches seven weeks before the World Cup, and the gamble now goes on show in North America. The federation sacked Hervé Renard on April 17, 2026, then handed the job to Greek manager Georgios Donis.
He named his 26-player Saudi Arabia World Cup 2026 Squad on May 31, 2026, with captain Salem Al-Dawsari leading a group built almost entirely from the home league.
The Green Falcons reached their seventh World Cup the hard way, scraping through a fourth round playoff in October 2025.
They land in Group H next to Spain, Uruguay and debutants Cape Verde. It’s a brutal draw, and few expect Donis to spring a surprise. This team will need its best month in years.
Saudi Arabia Quick Facts:
- Country: Saudi Arabia
- Confederation: AFC
- Nickname: Green Falcons
- Head Coach: Georgios Donis
- Captain: Salem Al-Dawsari
- Group: Group H
- Group Opponents: Spain, Uruguay, Cape Verde
- First Match: June 15 vs Uruguay, Miami Stadium, 6:00 PM ET
- Last Group Match: June 26 vs Cape Verde, Houston Stadium, 8:00 PM ET
- FIFA Ranking: 61st (as of April 1, 2026)
- World Cup Appearance: Seventh
- Kit Manufacturer: Adidas
Saudi Arabia Squad List for World Cup 2026
Goalkeepers
- Mohammed Al-Owais, 34, Al-Ula (Saudi Arabia)
- Nawaf Al-Aqidi, 26, Al-Nassr (Saudi Arabia)
- Ahmed Al-Kassar, 35, Al-Qadsiah (Saudi Arabia)
Defenders
- Saud Abdulhamid, 26, RC Lens (France)
- Hassan Al-Tambakti, 27, Al-Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
- Abdulelah Al-Amri, 29, Al-Nassr (Saudi Arabia)
- Nawaf Boushal, 26, Al-Nassr (Saudi Arabia)
- Ali Lajami, 30, Al-Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
- Ali Majrashi, 26, Al-Ahli (Saudi Arabia)
- Hassan Kadesh, 33, Al-Ittihad (Saudi Arabia)
- Moteb Al-Harbi, 26, Al-Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
- Jehad Thakri, 24, Al-Qadsiah (Saudi Arabia)
- Mohammed Abu Al-Shamat, 23, Al-Qadsiah (Saudi Arabia)
Midfielders
- Salem Al-Dawsari (C), 34, Al-Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
- Mohamed Kanno, 31, Al-Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
- Nasser Al-Dawsari, 27, Al-Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
- Abdullah Al-Khaibari, 29, Al-Nassr (Saudi Arabia)
- Musab Al-Juwayr, 22, Al-Qadsiah (Saudi Arabia)
- Ayman Yahya, 25, Al-Nassr (Saudi Arabia)
- Ziyad Al-Johani, 24, Al-Ahli (Saudi Arabia)
- Sultan Mandash, 31, Al-Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
- Alaa Al-Hejji, 30, Neom SC (Saudi Arabia)
Forwards
- Firas Al-Buraikan, 26, Al-Ahli (Saudi Arabia)
- Saleh Al-Shehri, 32, Al-Ittihad (Saudi Arabia)
- Abdullah Al-Hamdan, 26, Al-Nassr (Saudi Arabia)
- Khalid Al-Ghannam, 25, Al-Ettifaq (Saudi Arabia)
Ahmed Al-Kassar at 35 is the oldest player, with Al-Owais and Salem Al-Dawsari close behind at 34. Musab Al-Juwayr at 22 is the youngest. The spine is experienced and the average age sits near 28. Donis trusts proven home-grown names over untested youth.
The league pattern is striking. Twenty-five of the 26 play in the Roshn Saudi League, with only right-back Saud Abdulhamid based abroad at RC Lens. Al-Hilal supply seven players and Al-Nassr six, so two clubs alone make up half the squad. That shared club familiarity is the base Donis hopes to build on.
Saudi Arabia World Cup 2026 Fixtures
Saudi Arabia play all three group stage matches across the United States. Kick-off times are listed in Eastern Time (ET) for North American venues and Arabia Standard Time (AST) for fans watching at home.
| Date | Match | Venue | Time (ET) | Time (AST) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 15, 2026 | Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay | Miami Stadium, Miami | 6:00 PM | 1:00 AM (Jun 16) |
| June 21, 2026 | Spain vs Saudi Arabia | Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta | 12:00 PM | 7:00 PM |
| June 26, 2026 | Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia | Houston Stadium, Houston | 8:00 PM | 3:00 AM (Jun 27) |
The top two teams from Group H advance automatically to the round of 32, and the eight best third-placed teams also progress. Spain start as clear group favourites, with Uruguay the likely second seed. That math leaves Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde fighting for third and a long-shot route through.
The opener against Uruguay is the toughest possible start. Spain in Atlanta looks even harder on paper. The June 26 meeting with Cape Verde in Houston is the match Saudi Arabia must target. Win it, steal a point elsewhere, and the third-place door creaks open.
Manager: Georgios Donis
Georgios Donis is 56 and Greek, and he took the Saudi Arabia job on April 23, 2026. He replaced Hervé Renard, who was sacked six days earlier after back-to-back friendly defeats. The timing was a shock. No coach wants weeks rather than months to prepare a World Cup squad.
As a player, Donis was a quick winger who earned caps for Greece. He became the first Greek footballer to appear in the Premier League, joining Blackburn Rovers in 1996. Spells at Sheffield United and Huddersfield Town followed before he turned to coaching.
His big advantage is local knowledge. Donis has coached Al-Hilal, Al-Fateh, Al-Wehda and Al-Khaleej across a decade in Saudi football. He knows these players and they know him. The federation picked familiarity over a bigger name on purpose.
Donis built his reputation on attacking, possession-based football in the league. For the World Cup he has dialled that down. Expect a compact 4-2-3-1 that defends in numbers and looks to hurt Spain and Uruguay on fast breaks.
Star Player: Salem Al-Dawsari
Salem Al-Dawsari is 34 and plays as a left winger for Al-Hilal. He captains both club and country and remains the heartbeat of this Saudi side. His left foot still decides matches, whether from open play, a cut-in shot or a dead ball. Donis builds the attack around him.
He is the most-capped player in the squad with 108 appearances and 26 goals. No one else in this group comes close, and he has carried the creative load for over a decade across three World Cup cycles.
His defining moment came at Qatar 2022. Al-Dawsari curled the winner past Emiliano Martínez against Argentina, sealing a 2-1 upset of the eventual champions. He was named AFC Player of the Year for a second time in 2025, the same year he became the top Asian goalscorer in Club World Cup history.
His club form stayed sharp into 2026, with eight goals and eight assists in the league season. That output matters because Saudi Arabia lack another reliable creator. If he fires against Group H, the team has a puncher’s chance. If he goes quiet, the goals dry up fast.
Key Players to Watch
Musab Al-Juwayr
Musab Al-Juwayr is 22 and plays attacking midfield for Al-Qadsiah. He is the youngest member of the squad and the brightest young talent in it. His dribbling and direct running give Saudi Arabia a different gear when matches turn cagey and the team needs someone to drive forward.
He already has 33 caps and six international goals, strong numbers for his age. Donis may use him from the bench to chase a game late. A standout tournament would mark him as the face of the next Saudi cycle.
Mohamed Kanno
Mohamed Kanno is 31 and anchors the midfield for Al-Hilal. He is the screen in front of the back four, the player who breaks up attacks and keeps the shape tidy. Against Spain’s passing and Uruguay’s power, his reading of the game becomes Saudi Arabia’s most important defensive job.
With 75 caps he ranks among the squad’s most seasoned names. He rarely grabs headlines, yet Donis needs his discipline to protect a defence that will spend long spells under pressure. Saudi Arabia look harder to break down when he plays well.
Saud Abdulhamid
Saud Abdulhamid is 26 and the only squad member playing abroad, as a right-back for RC Lens in France. He arrives in form after a strong European season. Days before the squad dropped, he became the first Saudi to win a major European trophy by lifting the Coupe de France.
His pace lets him cover the whole flank, joining attacks and recovering in defence. With 53 caps at 26, he is already a fixture and could captain the side one day. Top-level European minutes give him an edge most teammates simply do not have.
Qualification Path & World Cup History
Saudi Arabia started qualifying in a second round group with Jordan, Tajikistan and Palestine. They finished second after winning four of their six games, doing enough to reach the third round. The early signs were solid, before the campaign grew far more nervous.
The third round went badly. Drawn with Japan, Australia, Indonesia, China and Bahrain, Saudi Arabia ended up third behind the top two. A home defeat to Australia in Jeddah confirmed they had missed automatic qualification. That result pushed them into a tense fourth round playoff to save their World Cup.
The fourth round playoff was held in Saudi Arabia in October 2025. They beat Indonesia 3-2, then needed only a draw with Iraq to go through. On October 14, 2025 the Saudi federation celebrated a goalless draw that booked the ticket. Relief outweighed joy that night.
This is Saudi Arabia’s seventh World Cup and their third in a row. Across six previous tournaments their finals record reads four wins, two draws and 13 losses from 19 matches. Their best run came on debut in 1994, when Saeed Al-Owairan’s famous solo goal helped them reach the round of 16.
What to Expect & Our Prediction
Saudi Arabia will set up to defend. A compact 4-2-3-1 with Kanno screening and the full-backs staying home is the likely plan. Their strengths are a settled core from two clubs, Al-Dawsari’s quality and Al-Buraikan’s running up top. Donis wants organisation before ambition.
The weakness is scoring against elite defences. Friendly losses before the tournament fed the doubts. Spain’s midfield control and Uruguay’s physical edge are exactly the tests that have exposed this team before. Inconsistency remains the honest worry.
Uruguay first is a daunting opener that may decide their momentum. Spain in Atlanta could be the hardest 90 minutes of the group for anyone. Cape Verde on June 26 is the realistic shot at points, a debutant Saudi Arabia should believe they can beat in Houston.
The best case is a win over Cape Verde and a battling draw that sneaks them into the third-place race. The worst case is three defeats and an early exit. A group stage departure looks most likely, and advancing would count as a genuine upset for Donis.
Saudi Arabia World Cup 2026 Squad FAQs
Who is the oldest player in Saudi Arabia’s 2026 World Cup squad?
Goalkeeper Ahmed Al-Kassar is the oldest at 35. Mohammed Al-Owais and captain Salem Al-Dawsari follow closely, both aged 34 at the start of the tournament.
Who is the youngest player in the squad?
Musab Al-Juwayr is the youngest at 22. The Al-Qadsiah attacking midfielder already has 33 caps, making him one of the more experienced young players at the tournament.
Which club provides the most Saudi Arabia players?
Al-Hilal supplies seven players, more than any other club. Al-Nassr is next with six, which means the two Riyadh giants together account for half of the 26-man squad.
How many squad players are based outside Saudi Arabia?
Just one. Right-back Saud Abdulhamid plays for RC Lens in France. The other 25 players all feature in the Roshn Saudi League at home.
What is the average age of the squad?
The squad averages close to 28 years old. It blends veterans in their 30s with a small core of players in their early to mid 20s, leaning toward experience.
What kit will Saudi Arabia wear at the 2026 World Cup?
Adidas supplies Saudi Arabia’s kit for 2026. The federation switched from Nike to Adidas, who took over as the national team’s match and training wear provider.
The Saudi Arabia World Cup 2026 Squad is a tight, home-grown group thrown a late curveball by the coaching change. Georgios Donis has weeks, not months, to make it click.
A brutal Group H draw means progress would be an achievement. Salem Al-Dawsari has produced magic on this stage before, and Saudi Arabia will need it again.
