Saudi Arabia national football team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Saudi Arabia

Nicknames	الصقور الخضر (The Green Falcons) الصقور العربية (The Arabian Falcons)
Association	Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF)
Confederation	AFC (Asia)
Sub-confederation	WAFF (West Asia)
Head coach	Georgios Donis
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 1 (7 February 2019)
Highest	21 (July 2004)
Lowest	126 (December 2012)
World Cup
Appearances	7 (first in 1994)
Best result	Round of 16 (1994)
AFC Asian Cup
Appearances	12 (first in 1984)
Best result	Champions (1984, 1988, 1996)
Arab Cup
Appearances	8 (first in 1985)
Best result	Champions (1998, 2002)
Arabian Gulf Cup
Appearances	24 (first in 1970)
Best result	Champions (1994, 2002, 2003–04)
CONCACAF Gold Cup
Appearances	1 (first in 2025)
Best result	Quarter-finals (2025)
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 Afro-Asian Cup of Nations Silver Cameroon and Saudi Arabia 1985 Squad Silver South Africa and Saudi Arabia 1997 Squad 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 and 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 (Arabic: مُنْتَخَب السُّعُودِيَّة لِكُرَّةِ الْقَدَم), often called "The Green Falcons," represents Saudi Arabia in international football matches. The Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) manages the team. They are known for their green and white uniforms, matching the colors of the Saudi flag.

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 a record six times. 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 later became the FIFA Confederations Cup.

At the 1994 FIFA World Cup, Saudi Arabia surprised many. Led by coach Jorge Solari, they beat Belgium and Morocco. They made it to the Round of 16 before losing to Sweden. This made them one of the few Asian teams to reach the knockout stage of a World Cup. In the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Saudi Arabia achieved a huge upset. They defeated eventual champions Argentina 2–1. This was Argentina's first loss to an Asian team in the World Cup.

Saudi Arabia is set to host the 2027 AFC Asian Cup. This will be the first time the nation hosts a major international tournament. They will also host the 2034 FIFA World Cup.

Team History and Achievements

Early Days of Saudi Football (1951–1957)

The idea for a Saudi national team began in 1951. A team of Saudi players played friendly matches against the Egyptian Ministry of Health. These games took place in Jeddah. By 1953, the idea of a national team was strong. The first Saudi team traveled abroad for friendly matches that same year.

In 1957, the Saudi national team played in its first international tournament. This was at the 2nd Pan-Arab Games in Beirut. King Saud attended the opening ceremony. The team's first goal was scored by Abdulmajeed Kayal.

Rise to Asian Champions (1984–2016)

Saudi Arabia's football federation started in 1956. However, the national team did not play in a major tournament until 1984. That year, they qualified for the AFC Asian Cup and won it! This was their first Asian championship. They then reached the next four Asian Cup finals in a row. They won two more titles in 1988 and 1996.

Saudi national team in 1984.

Saudi Arabia playing against China in the 1984 AFC Asian Cup.

The team first qualified for the FIFA World Cup in 1994. Key players like Saeed Al-Owairan and Sami Al-Jaber helped them succeed. They won against Belgium and Morocco in the group stage. They reached the Round of 16, a great achievement. Saudi Arabia played in the next three World Cups as well. However, they did not win any matches in those tournaments.

After 2007, the team faced some challenges. They did not qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. They also had their worst Asian Cup performance in 2011. The team lost all three group games. They also missed out on the 2014 FIFA World Cup. In the 2015 AFC Asian Cup, they were eliminated in the group stage again.

Recent Successes and World Cup Appearances (2017–Present)

Saudi Arabia qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. This was their first World Cup in 12 years. In the tournament, they lost to hosts Russia and Uruguay. However, they won their final group match against Egypt 2–1.

Saudi Arabia playing against Egypt in the 2018 World Cup.

In the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, Saudi Arabia reached the Round of 16. They played against Japan but lost 1–0.

Saudi Arabia qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. They were in a tough group with Argentina, Poland, and Mexico. In their first game, they famously beat Argentina 2–1. Goals from Saleh Al-Shehri and Salem Al-Dawsari secured the win. This ended Argentina's 36-game unbeaten streak. However, they then lost to Poland and Mexico. This meant they finished last in their group and were eliminated.

Saudi Arabia's starting line-up against eventual 2022 FIFA World Cup champions Argentina, a match Saudi Arabia won 2–1.

Under new coach Roberto Mancini, Saudi Arabia played in the 2023 AFC Asian Cup. They won their group after beating Oman and Kyrgyzstan. They drew with Thailand. In the Round of 16, they faced South Korea. The game ended in a draw after extra time. Saudi Arabia lost 4–2 in a penalty shootout.

Saudi Arabia successfully qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in October 2025. This marked their third consecutive World Cup appearance and seventh overall. In the 2026 World Cup group stage, Saudi Arabia drew with Uruguay and Cape Verde. They lost to Spain, finishing last in their group.

Team Uniforms and Sponsors

Traditionally, Saudi Arabia's home uniform was white with green details. Their away uniform was green with white details. These colors reflect the Saudi flag. In 2023, the team switched. Green became their home color, and white became their away color.

Kit Suppliers

Kit supplier	Period
Admiral	1976–1979
Puma	1980–1984
Topper	1984–1986
Faisok	1987–1989
Adidas	1990–1993
Shammel	1994–2000
Adidas	2001–2003
Le Coq Sportif	2004–2005
Puma	2006–2010
Nike	2011–2023
Adidas	2023–present

Team Rivalries

Saudi Arabia has strong football rivalries, especially with teams from the Gulf region. These include Iran, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates.

Matches against Iran are often seen as very important. This is due to the long history between the two nations. Saudi Arabia has won 6 matches, drawn 6, and lost 5 against Iran.

The rivalry with Iraq started in the 1970s. Both teams play with great passion to show their national pride.

Outside the Middle East, Saudi Arabia also has rivalries with South Korea, Japan, and Australia. They have played Japan in two Asian Cup finals.

Home Stadiums

Historically, Saudi Arabia played most of its home matches in King Fahd Sports City. This stadium is located in the capital city of Riyadh. It also hosted some of Saudi Arabia's most important games. These included the first three King Fahd Cup tournaments.

Since the 2000s, Saudi Arabia has started using other stadiums. They now play matches in cities like Dammam and Jeddah. This allows more fans across the country to watch the team play.

Recent Matches and Upcoming Games

The Saudi Arabia national football team has played many matches recently. They participated in the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup and the 2025 FIFA Arab Cup. They also played in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The team has upcoming matches in the 27th Arabian Gulf Cup in September 2026. They will also play in the 2026 WAFF Championship in November 2026. In January 2027, Saudi Arabia will host the 2027 AFC Asian Cup.

Coaching Staff

Position	Name	Ref.
Head coach	Georgios Donis
Assistant coaches	Makis Angelinas
	Leonidas Vokolos
	Savvas Pantelidis
	Yaya Touré
	Mohammed Amin
Goalkeeping coach	Panagiotis Maliaritsis
Technical coach	Osama Hawsawi
Fitness coach	Giannis Stavrinos
Trainer	Abdulsalam Al-Farabi
	Ibrahim Al-Jalali
Scout	Mohamed Al-Ghanim
Technical director	Nasser Larguet

Current Players

Current Squad

The players listed below were part of the squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Caps and goals are correct as of 26 June 2026, after the match against Cape Verde.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Nawaf Al-Aqidi	(2000-05-10) 10 May 2000 (age 26)	24	0	Al-Nassr
21	1GK	Mohammed Al-Owais	(1991-10-10) 10 October 1991 (age 34)	68	0	Al-Ula
22	1GK	Ahmed Al-Kassar	(1991-05-08) 8 May 1991 (age 35)	9	0	Al-Qadsiah
2	2DF	Ali Majrashi	(1999-10-02) 2 October 1999 (age 26)	21	0	Al-Ahli
3	2DF	Ali Lajami	(1996-04-24) 24 April 1996 (age 30)	27	1	Al-Hilal
4	2DF	Abdulelah Al-Amri	(1997-01-15) 15 January 1997 (age 29)	47	2	Al-Nassr
5	2DF	Hassan Al-Tambakti	(1999-02-09) 9 February 1999 (age 27)	57	1	Al-Hilal
12	2DF	Saud Abdulhamid	(1999-07-18) 18 July 1999 (age 26)	58	1	Lens
13	2DF	Nawaf Boushal	(1999-09-16) 16 September 1999 (age 26)	29	0	Al-Nassr
14	2DF	Hassan Kadesh	(1992-09-27) 27 September 1992 (age 33)	21	2	Al-Ittihad
24	2DF	Moteb Al-Harbi	(2000-02-20) 20 February 2000 (age 26)	16	0	Al-Hilal
25	2DF	Jehad Thakri	(2001-07-21) 21 July 2001 (age 24)	8	0	Al-Qadsiah
26	2DF	Mohammed Abu Al-Shamat	(2002-08-11) 11 August 2002 (age 23)	11	0	Al-Qadsiah
6	3MF	Nasser Al-Dawsari	(1998-12-19) 19 December 1998 (age 27)	50	1	Al-Hilal
7	3MF	Musab Al-Juwayr	(2003-06-20) 20 June 2003 (age 23)	40	6	Al-Qadsiah
8	3MF	Ayman Yahya	(2001-05-14) 14 May 2001 (age 25)	26	0	Al-Nassr
10	3MF	Salem Al-Dawsari (captain)	(1991-08-19) 19 August 1991 (age 34)	114	27	Al-Hilal
15	3MF	Abdullah Al-Khaibari	(1996-08-16) 16 August 1996 (age 29)	45	0	Al-Nassr
16	3MF	Ziyad Al-Johani	(2001-11-11) 11 November 2001 (age 24)	12	0	Al-Ahli
18	3MF	Alaa Al-Hejji	(1995-12-03) 3 December 1995 (age 30)	5	0	Neom
20	3MF	Sultan Mandash	(1994-10-17) 17 October 1994 (age 31)	8	2	Al-Hilal
23	3MF	Mohamed Kanno (vice-captain)	(1994-09-22) 22 September 1994 (age 31)	82	8	Al-Hilal
9	4FW	Firas Al-Buraikan	(2000-05-14) 14 May 2000 (age 26)	75	16	Al-Ahli
11	4FW	Saleh Al-Shehri	(1993-11-01) 1 November 1993 (age 32)	59	19	Al-Ittihad
17	4FW	Khalid Al-Ghannam	(2000-11-08) 8 November 2000 (age 25)	8	0	Al-Ettifaq
19	4FW	Abdullah Al-Hamdan	(1999-09-13) 13 September 1999 (age 26)	55	13	Al-Nassr

Player Records

Statistics include official FIFA-recognized matches only. Players in bold are still active with Saudi Arabia.

Most Appearances for the National Team

Mohamed Al-Deayea is Saudi Arabia's most capped player with 173 appearances.

Top Goalscorers for the National Team

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

Tournament Records

• 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  

FIFA World Cup Record

Saudi players warming up before their match against Ukraine during the 2006 FIFA World Cup on 19 June.

Saudi Arabia before the 2018 FIFA World Cup opening match, against hosts Russia in Group A.

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	1986
1990										9	4	3	2	11	9	1990
1994	Round of 16	12th	4	2	0	2	5	6		11	6	5	0	28	7	1994
1998	Group stage	28th	3	0	1	2	2	7		14	9	3	2	26	7	1998
2002		32nd	3	0	0	3	0	12		14	11	2	1	47	8	2002
2006		28th	3	0	1	2	2	7		12	10	2	0	24	2	2006
2010	Did not qualify									16	8	5	3	25	15	2010
2014										8	3	3	2	14	7	2014
2018	Group stage	26th	3	1	0	2	2	7		18	12	3	3	45	14	2018
2022		25th	3	1	0	2	3	5		18	13	4	1	34	10	2022
2026		Group stage	38th	3	0	2	1	1		5	18	8	6	4	22	13	2026
2030	To be determined									To be determined						2030
2034	Qualified as hosts									Qualified as hosts
Total:8/22	Round of 16	12th	21	4	4	14	15	49		154	89	38	27	288	116

AFC Asian Cup Record

The final of the 1984 AFC Asian Cup, against China. Saudi Arabia won their first AFC Asian Cup in their first appearance in the competition.

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	Qualified but withdrew									6	3	1	2	12	5
1980	Withdrew									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

All-Time Match Results

The table below shows Saudi Arabia's overall international record. This includes matches up to June 26, 2026.

Team Honours and Awards

Global Achievements

• FIFA Confederations Cup
  • Runners-up (1): 1992

Intercontinental Achievements

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

Continental Achievements

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

Regional Achievements

• Arabian Gulf Cup
  • Champions (3): 1994, 2002, 2003–04
  • Runners-up (7): 1972, 1974, 1998, 2009, 2010, 2014, 2019
  • Third place (9): 1970, 1979, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2007, 2024–25
• Arab Cup
  • Champions (2): 1998, 2002
  • Runners-up (1): 1992
  • Third place (2): 1985, 2025
• Arab Games
  • Silver medal (2): 1976, 1992
  • Bronze medal (1): 2007
• Islamic Solidarity Games
  • Gold medal (1): 2005
• Islamic Games
  • Bronze medal (1): 1980

Special Awards

• AFC National Team of the Year (1): 1996
• AFC Asian Cup Fair Play Award (1): 2000

Summary of Official Honours

These are the official honours recognized by FIFA or its affiliated confederations.

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
Arab Cup / FIFA Arab Cup	0	0	1	1
Total	3	6	1	10

See also

In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Arabia Saudita para niños