The Saudi Arabia World Cup 2026 squad is here, with Georgios Donis now at the helm The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.
Saudi Arabia's 26-Man Roster: Al-Hilal Core Dominates
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The Saudi Arabia World Cup 2026 squad has been revealed, as Georgios Donis' men look to build on their Argentina-slaying antics at the previous tournament. In qualifying, Saudi Arabia were drawn in a third round group with Australia and Japan, two of the strongest teams in the Asian Football Confederation, and finished third — eventually qualifying on goals scored in the fourth round.
World Cup 2026 in Canada, Mexico and the United States will represent 32 years since they first qualified for the tournament, which was incidentally in America in 1994 — and though the Saudi Arabians have one of the lesser-known squads in the tournament, the nation is experiencing a boom in the sport. World Cup 2022 burst into life after Saudi Arabia beat 2026 favourites Argentina in their opening game of the tournament, when two goals in the space of five minutes flipped the game on its head and the Green Falcons pulled off one of the all-time World Cup shocks.
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Salem Al-Dawsari, Al-Shehri, and Saudi Pro League Stars
Since then, the domestic league has expanded exponentially — Al-Nassr capturing the signature of Cristiano Ronaldo set off a chain reaction, with many stars from across the world flocking to the Middle Eastern country. The level of the league has increased so significantly that Al-Hilal went unbeaten against Real Madrid and Manchester City at the 2025 Club World Cup. The squad for the Arab Cup in Qatar didn't feature a single star from outside the Saudi Pro League, however, Marwan Al-Sahafi of Antwerp and Lens defender Saud Abdulhamid were in the squad for the nation's March friendlies.
Georgios Donis took over from French manager Herve Renard, who previously led Saudi Arabia at the World Cup 2022, in April, after the former made a near eighteen month comeback. The Greek ex-player, who once donned a Blackburn Rovers shirt, possesses over 20 years of experience in his managerial career, leading the likes of AEK Athens and Al-Hilal.
The manager, set to remain with the national team until the summer of 2027, has won silverware in Greece and Saudi Arabia, although, the shadow of a much more accomplished Renard could loom over him in North America.
Saudi Arabia's Group Path and Round of 32 Chances
Salem Al-Dawsari is the current captain of both Saudi Arabia and Al-Hilal, and is a modern day legend for the Saudi Arabian national team. His strike from the edge of the area that won the game for the Green Falcons against Argentina is etched in history forever, and he'll be hoping for another memorable moment in North America next summer. Alongside Sami Al-Jaber, he is the top scorer for Saudi Arabia at World Cups, with three goals — two in Qatar and one in Russia in 2018.
Ewan is a freelance writer and social media manager who has worked for The Athletic, GOAL, 90min and OneFootball. From Gelsenkirchen to Riyadh, he has covered some of the biggest games in football in his three years in the industry. You must confirm your public display name before commenting
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Mancini's Predicted Saudi Arabia Starting XI and Formation
The important question is not only who made the squad, but what the selection means for the likely starting XI. Readers need to know which roles are settled, which positions are still open, and which absences change the team shape.
The best follow-up is a match lineup page for the team involved. That connects squad news directly to the decisions the manager must make when the tournament starts.