Saudi Arabia in the FIFA World Cup

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the FIFA World Cup refers to the participation of the Saudi senior national football team in the FIFA World Cup finals. The first national team qualified consecutively for the tournament four times in the years: 1994, 1998, 2002, and 2006. They qualified for the fifth time in 2018 and for the sixth time in 2022. The FIFA World Cup is a global tournament held every four years.

The Saudi senior national team participated in the preliminary stages of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers (the first stage before the finals) twelve times. They played a total of 136 matches. Out of these, they won eighty-one matches, drew in thirty-two, and lost twenty-three. Throughout their participation years, they scored 266 goals and conceded 103. The team successfully converted 26 penalties but missed six. The team scored an average of 124 goals in the first half of each game, while in the second half, they scored an average of 140 goals. The fastest goal recorded by the team during the qualifying phase was scored in the thirtieth second of a match against Iraq in 2001 by the player Abdullah al-Sheehan.

The Saudi senior national team participated in the World Cup finals six times. They played a total of nineteen matches in these tournaments. Out of these, they won four matches, lost thirteen, and drew in two matches. The team scored a total of fourteen goals, including four goals from penalty kicks, and conceded forty-four goals. Player Saeed al-Owairan achieved the fastest goal when he scored in the fifth minute against Belgium in the 1994 World Cup held in the US. The first goal in the tournament for the Kingdom was scored by the player Fouad Anwar in the same World Cup.

The Saudi senior national team qualified for the FIFA World Cup for the first time in its history in 1994, under the leadership of its Argentinian coach, Jorge Solari. The tournament took place in the United States. The Kingdom's group included teams from the Netherlands, Morocco, and Belgium. In their opening match, they faced the Dutch team and lost two-one, with Fuad Anwar scoring the only goal for the Kingdom. In the second match, the Kingdom beat the Moroccan team two-one. The goals were scored by Sami al-Jaber from a penalty kick and Fuad Anwar. In the third match, the Kingdom secured a one-zero victory over Belgium, with the only goal scored by Saeed al-Owairan. All three matches were played in the US capital, Washington DC. Subsequently, the Saudi team advanced to the round of sixteen, where they faced Sweden in Dallas. Unfortunately, their journey ended there as they were defeated three-one by Sweden, with Fahd al-Ghesheyan scoring the only goal for the Saudi team.

Saudi national team in the France World Cup 1998. (SPA)

The Saudi national team participated in the FIFA World Cup finals for the second time in 1998, held in France. The Kingdom's group consisted of Denmark, France, and South Africa. The team was coached by the Brazilian Carlos Alberto Parreira. In their opening match, the Kingdom faced Denmark in the French city of Lens and suffered a one-zero defeat. Their second game was against the host nation, France, in Saint-Denis, which ended in a four-zero loss for the Saudis. In their third match, the team played against South Africa in Bordeaux under the guidance of the Saudi coach, Mohammed al-Kharashi, following the dismissal of Carlos Alberto Parreira. The match concluded with a two-two draw. The goals for the Kingdom were scored by Sami al-Jaber and Youssef al-Thunayan, both from penalty kicks. Consequently, the Kingdom was eliminated from the group stage.

The 2002 FIFA World Cup finals were co-hosted by South Korea and Japan. The Saudi senior national team was drawn into a group with Germany, Cameroon, and Ireland. In their opening match, the Kingdom faced Germany in the Japanese city of Sapporo, suffering a defeat with a scoreline of zero-eight. The Saudi team's second match, played in Saitama, Japan, ended in a one-zero loss to Cameroon. In their third and final group game against Ireland, the Saudis lost zero-three. The team's coach during this tournament was Nasser al-Johar.

Saudi national team in the Germany World Cup 2006. (SPA)

In 2006, the World Cup was hosted by Germany. The coach of the Saudi national team was Brazilian Marcos Paqueta. The Kingdom's group included Tunisia, Ukraine, and Spain. The Saudi national team tied in its first match in Munich against Tunisia with two goals scored by players Yasser al-Qahtani and Sami al-Jaber. After that, in the second match, the Saudi national team met Ukraine, only to lose the match by four goals to nil in Hamburg. Spain won its third match against the Kingdom one-zero in the German city of Kaiserslautern, after which Saudi was eliminated from the tournament.

The Saudi senior team qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals, marking its fifth appearance in the tournament's history. Under the leadership of Spanish coach Juan Antonio Pizzi, the Saudi team was drawn into a group alongside Russia, Uruguay, and Egypt. Their opening match was played in Moscow against the host nation, Russia, where the Saudis suffered a five-zero defeat. In their second match, they faced Uruguay in Rostov and lost one-zero. In their final group match, the Kingdom played against Egypt in Volgograd, securing a two-one victory with goals from Salman al-Faraj (from a penalty kick) and Salem al-Dawsari.

A section of the Saudi audience in the Qatar World Cup 2022. (SPA)

The Saudi senior national football team qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar, marking their sixth appearance in the tournament's history. Under the leadership of their French coach, Herve Renard, the team was drawn into Group Three alongside Argentina, Mexico, and Poland. The Kingdom played their first match at the Lusail Stadium against Argentina, pulling off a two-one victory with goals from Saleh al-Shehri and Salem al-Dawsari. In their second match, they faced Poland at the Education City Stadium and suffered a two-zero defeat. In their final group game against Mexico at the Lusail Stadium, the Kingdom lost two-one, with Salem al-Dawsari scoring the team's lone goal.

On October 4, 2023, the Kingdom announced its intention to bid for hosting the 2034 World Cup. The Saudi Arabian Football Federation aims to leverage all resources and capabilities to provide an unprecedented experience for football fans at this global event. This bid is supported by the endorsement of 130 football federations around the world.

Crown Prince and Prime Minister His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud confirmed that the Kingdom's intention to host the 2034 World Cup reflects the comprehensive development it has achieved across all sectors and levels. This development has positioned the Kingdom as a leading center and an international venue for hosting major and significant global events across various fields, supported by its economic assets and rich cultural and historical heritage.

On July 29, 2024, the Crown Prince endorsed the Kingdom's bid file for hosting the 2034 World Cup after concluding the details and requirements for the file in preparation for submitting it to FIFA in Paris, France, by the official Saudi delegation.

On July 29, 2024, the Kingdom has officially submitted its bid file for hosting the 2034 World Cup in Paris during a ceremony held by FIFA. The submission was made by an official delegation led by the Minister of Sport and Chairman of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee Prince Abdulaziz Bin Turki, the President of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation Yasser Al-Mishal, and included two children from the regional training centers of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation.

The submission of the bid file is one of the stages in the bidding process, which began with the Kingdom's announcement of its intention to bid for the host of the 2034 World Cup. This will be followed by official inspection visits by FIFA, a comprehensive evaluation of the bid file, and culminates in the official announcement of the host country for the 2034 World Cup on December 11, 2024.

The FIFA U-20 World Cup has seen the Saudi U-20 national team qualify for the finals nine times. They participated in: Moscow in 1985, Chile in 1987, and then the Kingdom hosted the World Cup finals in 1989. Further participations include Australia in 1993, Nigeria in 1999, and the UAE in 2003. In all these editions, the Saudi U-20 team was eliminated in the group stages. However, they managed to reach the Round of Sixteen twice, in Colombia in 2011 and South Korea in 2017. Their ninth participation was in the World Cup in Poland in 2019, where they were again eliminated in the group stages.

The Saudi U-17 national team clinched the FIFA U-17 World Cup title in Scotland in 1989. They won the championship after defeating the Scottish team in a penalty shootout. Prior to that, the Saudi youth team had drawn against Portugal and Guinea two-two and had beaten Colombia one-zero. In the quarterfinals, they triumphed over Nigeria via penalty kicks, and in the semifinals, they overcame the Bahraini team. The Saudi youth team also participated in the World Cup held in Canada in 1987 and reached the quarterfinals in China in 1985. The U-20 and U-17 World Cups are held every two years, while the senior teams compete in the FIFA World Cup every four years.