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Saudi Arabia national football team facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
This page is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Saudi Arabia women's national football team.
Quick facts for kids
Saudi Arabia
Shirt badge/Association crest
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)
Top scorer Majed Abdullah (72)
Home stadium Various
FIFA code KSA
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 70 Decrease 1 (7 February 2019)
Highest 21 (July 2004)
Lowest 126 (December 2012)
Elo ranking
Current 63 Increase 6 (3 March 2019)
Highest 27 (November 1998)
Lowest 112 (1970, 1972)
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)
Confederations Cup
Appearances 4 (first in 1992)
Best result Runners-up (1992)
Medal record
Men's football
FIFA Confederations Cup
Silver Saudi Arabia 1992 Squad
FIFA Arab Cup
Gold Qatar 1998 Squad
Gold Kuwait 2002 Squad
Silver Syria 1992 Squad
Bronze Saudi Arabia 1985 Squad
AFC Asian Cup
Gold Singapore 1984 Squad
Gold Qatar 1988 Squad
Gold UAE 1996 Squad
Silver Japan 1992 Squad
Silver Lebanon 2000 Squad
Silver Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand-Vietnam 2007 Squad
Asian Games
Silver Seoul 1986 Squad
Bronze New Delhi 1982 Squad
Arab Games
Silver Damascus 1976 Squad
Bronze Cairo 2007 Squad
Website saff.sa

The Saudi Arabia national football team represents Saudi Arabia in international men's football games. They are often called Al-Suqour Al-Arabiyyah (Arabian Falcons) or Al-Suqour Al-Khodhur (The Green Falcons). These names come from their traditional green and white team colors. The team is part of FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

Saudi Arabia is one of Asia's most successful football teams. They have won the AFC Asian Cup three times (in 1984, 1988, and 1996). They have also reached the Asian Cup finals six times, which is a record. The team has played in the FIFA World Cup seven times, starting in 1994. Saudi Arabia was the first Asian team to reach the final of a major FIFA competition. This happened at the 1992 King Fahd Cup, which is now known as the FIFA Confederations Cup. Only Australia and Japan have done this since.

At the 1994 World Cup, Saudi Arabia, led by coach Jorge Solari, beat Belgium and Morocco. They made it to the Round of 16 before losing to Sweden. This made them the second Arab team to reach the knockout stage of a World Cup. During the 2022 World Cup, Saudi Arabia surprised everyone by beating Argentina 2–1. Argentina later went on to win the tournament. However, Saudi Arabia then lost to Poland and Mexico, finishing last in their group.

Saudi Arabia will host the 2027 AFC Asian Cup in 2027. This will be the first time the country hosts the Asian Cup. They will also host the 2034 FIFA World Cup.

Team History

Early Days (1951–1955)

The idea for a Saudi national team started in 1951. A team of Saudi players played friendly games against the Egyptian Ministry of Health. These games helped show the need for a national team. In 1953, the first Saudi team traveled abroad for friendly matches.

In 1957, the Saudi national team played in its first international tournament. This was at the 2nd Pan-Arab Games in Beirut. A player named Abdulmajeed Kayal scored for Saudi Arabia in their first game.

Big Wins and Tough Times (1956–2016)

Saudi Arabia's football federation started in 1956. But the national team didn't play in a major tournament until 1984. That year, they qualified for the AFC Asian Cup and won it! They became Asian champions for the first time. After that, they reached the next four Asian Cup finals in a row. They won two more titles in 1988 and 1996. They have played in every AFC Asian Cup since then. They even reached the final again in 2007.

Saudi Arabia national football team in 1984
Saudi national team, 1984.
Asian Cup 1984, match Saudi Arabia and China
Saudi Arabia playing against China in the 1984 AFC Asian Cup.

Saudi Arabia played in their first FIFA World Cup in 1994. Coach Jorge Solari led the team. Players like Saeed Al-Owairan and Sami Al-Jaber were key. Veteran player Majed Abdullah was the team captain. They beat Belgium and Morocco in the group stage. They then lost to Sweden 3–1 in the Round of 16.

Saudi Arabia qualified for the next three World Cups. However, they did not win any matches in those tournaments. In 1998, they were eliminated after only one draw. In 2002, they finished last without scoring a goal. They also let in 12 goals, including eight against Germany. This was a very tough World Cup for them. In 2006, they only got one point from a draw with Tunisia.

After 2007, Saudi Arabia faced more challenges. They did not qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. They lost in the playoffs to Bahrain. In the 2011 AFC Asian Cup, they had their worst performance ever. They lost all three games. They also failed to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. In the 2015 AFC Asian Cup, they were eliminated in the group stage again.

Recent Success (2017–Present)

Saudi Arabia qualified for the 2018 World Cup. This was their first World Cup in 12 years. In their first game, they lost to host country Russia 5–0. They then lost 1–0 to Uruguay. Even though they were already out, Saudi Arabia won their last group game against Egypt. This gave them some pride.

KSA-EGY (2)
Saudi Arabia playing against Egypt in the 2018 World Cup.

After the 2018 World Cup, Saudi Arabia played in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. They finished second in their group. They then lost to Japan 1–0 in the Round of 16.

On October 15, 2019, Saudi Arabia played Palestine in the West Bank. This was a new step for Saudi Arabia. Before, they played Palestine in other countries. The game ended in a 0–0 draw.

Saudi Arabia qualified for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. This was the first World Cup in the Middle East. They were in a group with Argentina, Poland, and Mexico. In their first game, they beat Argentina 2–1. This ended Argentina's 36-game unbeaten streak. The Saudi King even declared a holiday after the win! But then, Saudi Arabia lost to Poland 2–0. They also lost to Mexico 2–1. This meant they were eliminated from the tournament.

In the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, Saudi Arabia, led by new coach Roberto Mancini, started strong. They won against Oman 2–1 and Kyrgyzstan 2–0. They drew with Thailand 0–0. This put them at the top of their group. In the Round of 16, they played against South Korea. The game ended 1–1 after extra time. Saudi Arabia lost 4–2 in a penalty shootout and was eliminated.

Team Uniforms and Logos

Saudi Arabia's home uniform is usually white with green details. Their away uniform is green with white details. These colors come from the Saudi flag. Since 2023, the team has switched these colors. Green is now their home kit, and white is their away kit.

Kit Suppliers

Kit supplier Period
United Kingdom Admiral 1976–1979
West Germany Puma 1980–1984
Saudi Arabia Faisok 1985–1989
Germany Adidas 1990–1993
Saudi Arabia Shammel 1994–2000
Germany Adidas 2001–2003
France Le Coq Sportif 2004–2005
Germany Puma 2006–2010
United States Nike 2011–2022
Germany Adidas 2023–present

Team Rivalries

Main articles: Iran–Saudi Arabia football rivalry and Iraq–Saudi Arabia football rivalry

Saudi Arabia has strong rivalries with other teams in the Persian Gulf. These include Iran, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates.

Matches against Iran are very important to Saudis. This is because of historical tensions between the two countries. Saudi Arabia has won 4 matches, drawn 6, and lost 5 against Iran. It is known as one of the most intense rivalries with political influence.

The rivalry with Iraq started in the 1970s. After the Gulf War, where Iraq invaded Kuwait (Saudi Arabia's ally), the two countries became strong rivals. Their relationship has often been difficult.

Outside the Middle East, Saudi Arabia also has big rivalries with South Korea, Japan (including two Asian Cup finals), and recently Australia.

Home Stadiums

Saudi Arabia has historically played most of its home games at King Fahd Sports City in Riyadh. This stadium also hosted the first three King Fahd Cups. These cups were the start of what is now the Confederations Cup.

Since the 2000s, Saudi Arabia has started using other stadiums. They have played games in Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium in Dammam and Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium.

Recent Matches

Main article: Saudi Arabia national football team results (2020–present)

Here are the results of Saudi Arabia's matches in the last 12 months. Also, any future games are listed.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2024 Matches

22 December
20:30
26th Arabian Gulf Cup		 Saudi Arabia  v  Bahrain Jaber International Stadium
25 December
17:25
26th Arabian Gulf Cup		 Yemen  v  Saudi Arabia Sulaibikhat Stadium
28 December
17:30
26th Arabian Gulf Cup		 Iraq  v  Saudi Arabia Jaber International Stadium

Coaching Staff

Position Name Ref.
Head coach France Hervé Renard
Assistant coaches France David Ducci
Ivory Coast Yaya Touré
France Alexandre Kerveillant
Saudi Arabia Mohamed Al-Hamad
Saudi Arabia Hassan Al-Najdi
Goalkeeping coach Saudi Arabia Saad Al-Thani
Technical coach Saudi Arabia Osama Hawsawi
Trainer Saudi Arabia Jawad Al-Ghamdi
Saudi Arabia Ayoub Al-Qahtani
Scout Saudi Arabia Thamer Sulaiman
Technical director Morocco Nasser Larguet

Current Players

The following 27 players were chosen for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification games in November 2024.

Player information is correct as of November 19, 2024, after the match against Indonesia.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1GK Ahmed Al-Kassar (1991-05-08) 8 May 1991 (age 34) 8 0 Saudi Arabia Al-Qadsiah
1GK Mohammed Al-Rubaie (1997-08-14) 14 August 1997 (age 27) 7 0 Saudi Arabia Al-Hilal
1GK Abdulrahman Al-Sanbi (2001-02-03) 3 February 2001 (age 24) 0 0 Saudi Arabia Al-Ahli
1GK Hamed Al-Shanqiti (2005-04-26) 26 April 2005 (age 20) 0 0 Saudi Arabia Al-Ittihad
2DF Yasser Al-Shahrani (1992-03-25) 25 March 1992 (age 33) 81 2 Saudi Arabia Al-Hilal
2DF Ali Al-Bulaihi (1989-11-21) 21 November 1989 (age 35) 56 2 Saudi Arabia Al-Hilal
2DF Saud Abdulhamid (1999-07-18) 18 July 1999 (age 25) 41 1 Italy Roma
2DF Hassan Al-Tambakti (1999-02-09) 9 February 1999 (age 26) 35 0 Saudi Arabia Al-Hilal
2DF Sultan Al-Ghannam (1994-05-06) 6 May 1994 (age 31) 34 0 Saudi Arabia Al-Nassr
2DF Ali Lajami (1996-04-24) 24 April 1996 (age 29) 15 1 Saudi Arabia Al-Nassr
2DF Awn Al-Saluli (1998-09-02) 2 September 1998 (age 26) 9 0 Saudi Arabia Al-Taawoun
2DF Muhannad Al-Shanqeeti (1999-03-12) 12 March 1999 (age 26) 2 0 Saudi Arabia Al-Ittihad
3MF Mohamed Kanno (1994-09-22) 22 September 1994 (age 30) 58 3 Saudi Arabia Al-Hilal
3MF Nasser Al-Dawsari (1998-12-19) 19 December 1998 (age 26) 26 0 Saudi Arabia Al-Hilal
3MF Abdullah Al-Khaibari (1996-08-16) 16 August 1996 (age 28) 26 0 Saudi Arabia Al-Nassr
3MF Faisal Al-Ghamdi (2001-08-13) 13 August 2001 (age 23) 12 1 Belgium Beerschot
3MF Musab Al-Juwayr (2003-06-20) 20 June 2003 (age 22) 11 3 Saudi Arabia Al-Shabab
3MF Mohammed Al-Qahtani (2002-07-23) 23 July 2002 (age 22) 4 0 Saudi Arabia Al-Hilal
3MF Marwan Al-Sahafi (2004-02-17) 17 February 2004 (age 21) 4 0 Belgium Beerschot
3MF Saad Al-Nasser (2001-01-08) 8 January 2001 (age 24) 3 0 Saudi Arabia Al-Taawoun
4FW Firas Al-Buraikan (2000-05-14) 14 May 2000 (age 25) 47 9 Saudi Arabia Al-Ahli
4FW Saleh Al-Shehri (1993-11-01) 1 November 1993 (age 31) 38 15 Saudi Arabia Al-Ittihad
4FW Abdullah Al-Hamdan (1999-09-13) 13 September 1999 (age 25) 32 5 Saudi Arabia Al-Hilal
4FW Abdullah Radif (2003-01-20) 20 January 2003 (age 22) 19 2 Saudi Arabia Al-Ettifaq
4FW Ayman Fallatah (2003-10-02) 2 October 2003 (age 21) 0 0 Saudi Arabia Damac

Recent Call-ups

These players have also been called up to the Saudi Arabia team in the last 12 months.


Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Raghed Al-Najjar (1996-09-20) 20 September 1996 (age 28) 1 0 Saudi Arabia Al-Nassr v.  Bahrain, 15 October 2024
GK Mohammed Al-Owais (1991-10-10) 10 October 1991 (age 33) 58 0 Saudi Arabia Al-Hilal v.  China, 10 September 2024
GK Nawaf Al-Aqidi (2000-05-10) 10 May 2000 (age 25) 4 0 Saudi Arabia Al-Nassr 2023 AFC Asian Cup WD
DF Abdulelah Al-Amri (1997-01-15) 15 January 1997 (age 28) 28 1 Saudi Arabia Al-Ittihad v.  Australia, 14 November 2024INJ
DF Hassan Kadesh (1992-09-27) 27 September 1992 (age 32) 11 2 Saudi Arabia Al-Ittihad v.  Bahrain, 15 October 2024
DF Rayan Hamed (2002-04-13) 13 April 2002 (age 23) 3 0 Saudi Arabia Al-Ahli v.  Bahrain, 15 October 2024
DF Hussain Al-Sibyani (2001-06-24) 24 June 2001 (age 24) 1 0 Saudi Arabia Al-Shabab v.  Bahrain, 15 October 2024
DF Meshal Al-Sebyani (2001-04-11) 11 April 2001 (age 24) 2 0 Saudi Arabia Al-Ettifaq v.  Japan, 10 October 2024
DF Moteb Al-Harbi (2000-02-20) 20 February 2000 (age 25) 7 0 Saudi Arabia Al-Hilal v.  Indonesia, 5 September 2024
DF Mohammed Al-Breik (1992-09-15) 15 September 1992 (age 32) 46 1 Saudi Arabia Neom v.  Jordan, 11 June 2024
DF Mohammed Al-Fatil (1992-01-04) 4 January 1992 (age 33) 15 1 Saudi Arabia Al-Nassr v.  Tajikistan, 26 March 2024
DF Fawaz Al-Sqoor (1996-04-23) 23 April 1996 (age 29) 5 0 Saudi Arabia Al-Ittihad v.  Tajikistan, 26 March 2024
DF Waleed Al-Ahmed (1999-05-03) 3 May 1999 (age 26) 2 0 Saudi Arabia Al-Taawoun v.  Tajikistan, 21 March 2024 INJ
MF Salem Al-Dawsari (1991-08-19) 19 August 1991 (age 33) 90 23 Saudi Arabia Al-Hilal v.  Australia, 14 November 2024INJ
MF Salman Al-Faraj (1989-08-01) 1 August 1989 (age 35) 73 9 Saudi Arabia Neom v.  Australia, 14 November 2024INJ
MF Abdulellah Al-Malki (1994-10-11) 11 October 1994 (age 30) 36 0 Saudi Arabia Al-Ettifaq v.  Australia, 14 November 2024INJ
MF Abdulrahman Ghareeb (1997-03-31) 31 March 1997 (age 28) 31 3 Saudi Arabia Al-Nassr v.  Bahrain, 15 October 2024
MF Ayman Yahya (2001-05-14) 14 May 2001 (age 24) 13 0 Saudi Arabia Al-Nassr v.  Bahrain, 15 October 2024
MF Ali Al-Asmari (1997-01-12) 12 January 1997 (age 28) 5 0 Saudi Arabia Al-Ahli v.  Bahrain, 15 October 2024
MF Hamed Al-Ghamdi (1999-04-02) 2 April 1999 (age 26) 3 0 Saudi Arabia Al-Ittihad v.  Bahrain, 15 October 2024
MF Fahad Al-Muwallad (1994-09-14) 14 September 1994 (age 30) 80 17 Saudi Arabia Al-Shabab v.  China, 10 September 2024
MF Mukhtar Ali (1997-10-30) 30 October 1997 (age 27) 13 0 Saudi Arabia Al-Nassr v.  China, 10 September 2024
MF Abbas Al-Hassan (2004-02-22) 22 February 2004 (age 21) 4 0 Saudi Arabia Neom v.  Indonesia, 5 September 2024
MF Sami Al-Najei (1997-02-07) 7 February 1997 (age 28) 22 2 Saudi Arabia Al-Nassr v.  Jordan, 11 June 2024
MF Eid Al-Muwallad (2001-12-14) 14 December 2001 (age 23) 2 0 Saudi Arabia Al-Okhdood 2023 AFC Asian Cup
MF Ali Hazazi (1994-02-18) 18 February 1994 (age 31) 8 0 Saudi Arabia Al-Qadsiah 2023 AFC Asian Cup PRE
MF Khalid Al-Ghannam (2000-11-07) 7 November 2000 (age 24) 3 0 Saudi Arabia Al-Hilal 2023 AFC Asian Cup PRE
FW Mohammed Maran (2001-02-15) 15 February 2001 (age 24) 8 0 Saudi Arabia Al-Nassr v.  Bahrain, 15 October 2024
FW Talal Haji (2007-09-16) 16 September 2007 (age 17) 1 0 Saudi Arabia Al-Ittihad 2023 AFC Asian Cup
  • COV Player withdrew from the squad due to contracting COVID-19.
  • INJ Player withdrew from the squad due to an injury.
  • PRE Preliminary squad.
  • RET Retired from the national team.
  • SUS Player is serving a suspension.
  • WD Player withdrew from the squad due to non-injury issue.

Player Records

These statistics include only official games recognized by FIFA. Players in bold are still playing for Saudi Arabia.

Most Games Played

Mohamed Al-Deayea 2010
Mohamed Al-Deayea has played the most games for Saudi Arabia, with 173 appearances.
Rank Player Caps Goals Career
1 Mohamed Al-Deayea 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 Goal Scorers

Majed Abdullah in 1984
Majed Abdullah is Saudi Arabia's top scorer with 72 goals.
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

Tournament Records

WM06 ASA-UKR Warm Up
Saudi players warming up before their match against Ukraine during the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
Sdm 4680
Saudi Arabia players before the 2018 FIFA World Cup opening game against hosts Russia.

*A draw includes games decided by penalty shootouts. A red border means the tournament was hosted in Saudi Arabia. Gold, silver, and bronze backgrounds show 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place finishes. Bold text means their best finish in that 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

Main article: Saudi Arabia at the FIFA World Cup
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
Argentina 1978 Did not qualify 4 1 0 3 3 7
Spain 1982 10 4 1 5 9 16
Mexico 1986 2 0 1 1 0 1
Italy 1990 9 4 3 2 11 9
United States 1994 Round of 16 12th 4 2 0 2 5 6 11 6 5 0 28 7
France 1998 Group stage 28th 3 0 1 2 2 7 14 9 3 2 26 7
South Korea Japan 2002 32nd 3 0 0 3 0 12 14 11 2 1 47 8
Germany 2006 28th 3 0 1 2 2 7 12 10 2 0 24 2
South Africa 2010 Did not qualify 16 8 5 3 25 15
Brazil 2014 8 3 3 2 14 7
Russia 2018 Group stage 26th 3 1 0 2 2 7 18 12 3 3 45 14
Qatar 2022 25th 3 1 0 2 3 5 18 13 4 1 34 10
Canada Mexico United States 2026 Qualification in Progress 8 5 2 1 15 5
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030 To be determined
Saudi Arabia 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

Main article: Saudi Arabia at the AFC Asian Cup
Asian Cup 1984, match Saudi Arabia and China
The Final of the 1984 AFC Asian Cup, against China. Saudi Arabia won their first AFC Asian Cup in their first time in the competition.
AFC Asian Cup Record Qualification Record
Year Result Position Pld W D L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
Hong Kong 1956 Not an AFC member Not an AFC member
South Korea 1960
Israel 1964
Iran 1968
Thailand 1972
Iran 1976 Withdrew 6 3 1 2 12 5
Kuwait 1980 Withdrew
Singapore 1984 Champions 1st 6 3 3 0 7 3 4 4 0 0 19 0
Qatar 1988 Champions 1st 6 3 3 0 5 1 Automatic qualification as champions
Japan 1992 Runners-up 2nd 5 2 2 1 8 3 Automatic qualification as champions
United Arab Emirates 1996 Champions 1st 6 3 2 1 11 6 4 4 0 0 10 0
Lebanon 2000 Runners-up 2nd 6 3 1 2 11 8 Automatic qualification as champions
China 2004 Group stage 13th 3 0 1 2 3 5 6 6 0 0 31 1
Indonesia Malaysia Thailand Vietnam 2007 Runners-up 2nd 6 4 1 1 12 6 6 5 0 1 21 4
Qatar 2011 Group stage 15th 3 0 0 3 1 8 Automatic qualification as runners-up
Australia 2015 10th 3 1 0 2 5 5 6 5 1 0 9 3
United Arab Emirates 2019 Round of 16 12th 4 2 0 2 6 3 8 6 2 0 28 4
Qatar 2023 9th 4 2 2 0 5 2 8 6 2 0 22 4
Saudi Arabia 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

FIFA Arab Cup Record
Year Result Pld W D L GF GA
Lebanon 1963 Did not enter
Kuwait 1964
Iraq 1966
Saudi Arabia 1985 Third place 4 2 1 1 7 3
Jordan 1988 Group stage 4 0 2 2 1 4
Syria 1992 Runners-up 4 2 1 1 7 5
Qatar 1998 Champions 4 4 0 0 12 3
Kuwait 2002 Champions 6 5 1 0 11 3
2009 Cancelled
Saudi Arabia 2012 Fourth place 4 1 1 2 6 5
Qatar 2021 Group stage 3 0 1 2 1 3
Total 7/10 29 14 7 8 45 26

West Asian Football Federation Championship

WAFF Championship Record
Year Round Pld W D L GF GA
Jordan 2000 Did not participate
Syria 2002
Iran 2004
Jordan 2007
Iran 2008
Jordan 2010
Kuwait 2012 Group stage 3 1 1 1 1 1
Qatar 2014 2 0 1 1 1 4
Iraq 2019 3 0 1 2 1 5
United Arab Emirates 2023 Qualified
Total 4/10 8 1 3 4 3 10

Arabian Gulf Cup

Arabian Gulf Cup Record
Year Result Position Pld W D L GF GA
Bahrain 1970 Third place 3rd 3 0 2 1 2 4
Saudi Arabia 1972 Runners-up 2nd 3 2 1 0 10 2
Kuwait 1974 Runners-up 2nd 4 3 0 1 9 6
Qatar 1976 Group stage 5th 6 2 0 4 8 14
Iraq 1979 Third place 3rd 6 3 2 1 14 4
United Arab Emirates 1982 Group stage 4th 5 2 1 2 6 4
Oman 1984 Third place 3rd 3rd 6 3 1 2 9 8
Bahrain 1986 Third place 3rd 6 3 0 3 9 9
Saudi Arabia 1988 Third place 3rd 6 2 3 1 5 4
Kuwait 1990 Withdrew
Qatar 1992 Third place 3rd 5 3 0 2 6 4
United Arab Emirates 1994 Champions 1st 5 4 1 0 10 4
Oman 1996 Third place 3rd 5 2 2 1 8 6
Bahrain 1998 Runners-up 2nd 5 3 2 0 5 2
Saudi Arabia 2002 Champions 1st 5 4 1 0 10 3
Kuwait 2003–04 Champions 1st 6 4 2 0 8 2
Qatar 2004 Group stage 5th 3 1 0 2 4 5
United Arab Emirates 2007 Third place 3rd 4 2 1 1 4 3
Oman 2009 Runners-up 2nd 5 3 2 0 10 0
Yemen 2010 Runners-up 2nd 5 2 2 1 6 2
Bahrain 2013 Group stage 5th 3 1 0 2 2 3
Saudi Arabia 2014 Runners-up 2nd 5 3 1 1 9 5
Kuwait 2017–18 Group stage 6th 3 1 1 1 2 3
Qatar 2019 Runners-up 2nd 5 3 0 2 7 5
Iraq 2023 Group stage 6th 3 1 0 2 3 4
Kuwait 2024 - - - - - - - -
Total 3 Titles 24/25 112 57 25 30 166 106

Arab Games

Arab Games Record
Year Result Pld W D L GF GA
Egypt 1953 Did not enter
Lebanon 1957 Group stage 3 1 1 1 4 3
Morocco 1961 Fifth place 5 1 0 4 4 38
United Arab Republic 1965 Did not enter
Syria 1976 Runners-up 6 3 1 2 9 4
Morocco 1985 Fourth place 4 3 0 1 6 3
Lebanon 1997 Did not enter
Jordan 1999 First round 2 0 1 1 2 3
Egypt 2007 Third place 4 1 1 2 5 5
Qatar 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
*Draws include games decided by penalty shoot-out.

Asian Games

Asian Games Record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA
India 1951 Did not enter
Philippines 1954
Japan 1958
Indonesia 1962
Thailand 1966
Thailand 1970
Iran 1974
Thailand 1978 Group stage 10th 3 0 2 1 3 4
India 1982 Semi-finals Third place 6 3 2 1 7 4
South Korea 1986 Final Runners-up 6 3 2 1 9 6
China 1990 Quarter-finals 5th 3 2 1 0 6 0
Japan 1994 Quarter-finals 5th 5 3 0 2 9 10
Thailand 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

FIFA Confederations Cup Record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA
Saudi Arabia 1992 Runners-up 2nd 2 1 0 1 4 3
Saudi Arabia 1995 Group stage 5th 2 0 0 2 0 4
Saudi Arabia 1997 7th 3 1 0 2 1 8
Mexico 1999 Fourth place 4th 5 1 1 3 8 16
South Korea Japan 2001 Did not qualify
France 2003
Germany 2005
South Africa 2009
Brazil 2013
Russia 2017
Total Runners-up 4/10 12 3 1 8 13 31

Overall Results

Main article: Saudi Arabia national football team results

This table shows Saudi Arabia's international record. It is correct as of November 19, 2024.

Against Played Won Drawn Lost GF GA GD
Total 735 344 167 214 1099 773 +326
  • Worldfootball.net
  • FIFA.com

Team Achievements

Major Competitions

Worldwide

Intercontinental

  • Afro-Asian Cup of Nations
    • Runners-up (2): 1985, 1997

Continental

  • AFC Asian Cup
    • Champions (3): 1984, 1988, 1996
    • Runner-up (3): 1992, 2000, 2007
  • Asian Games
    • Silver medal (1): 1986
    • Bronze medal (1): 1982

Regional Titles

  • Arabian Gulf Cup
    • Champions (3): 1994, 2002, 2003–04
    • Runners-up (7): 1972, 1974, 1998, 2009, 2010, 2014, 2019
    • Third place (8): 1970, 1979, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2007
  • Arab Cup:
    • Champions (2): 1998, 2002
    • Runners-up (1): 1992
    • Third place (1): 1985
  • Arab Games
    • Gold medal (1): 2023
    • Silver medal (2): 1976, 1992
    • Bronze medal (1): 2007

Other Titles

  • Islamic Solidarity Games
    • Gold medal (1): 2005

Summary of Titles

Competition 1 2 3 Total
FIFA Confederations Cup 0 1 0 1
AFC Asian Cup 3 3 0 6
Asian Games 0 1 1 2
Afro-Asian Cup of Nations 0 2 0 2
Arab Cup 2 1 1 4
Arabian Gulf Cup 3 7 8 18
Arab Games 1 1 1 2
Total 9 16 11 35

Championship Wins

AFC Asian Cup

Preceded by
1980 Kuwait 		 Asian Cup Champions
1984 (First title)
1988 (Second title)		 Succeeded by
1992 Japan 
Preceded by
1992 Japan 		 Asian Cup Champions
1996 (Third title)		 Succeeded by
2000 Japan 

Arab Cup

Preceded by
1992 Egypt 		 Arab Cup Champions
1998 (First title)
2002 (Second title)		 Succeeded by
2012 Morocco 

Arabian Gulf Cup

Preceded by
1992 Qatar 		 Gulf Cup Champions
1994 (First title)		 Succeeded by
1996 Kuwait 
Preceded by
1998 Kuwait 		 Gulf Cup Champions
2002 (Second title)
2003–04 (Third title)		 Succeeded by
2004 Qatar 

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Arabia Saudita para niños

kids search engine
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Saudi Arabia national football team Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.