2022 World Cup: Saudi Arabia's Squad and Team Profile

SAUDI ARABIA

• Best World Cup performance: Round of 16 in 1994
• Other notable performances: AFC Asian Cup winners in 1984, 1988, 1996
• FIFA ranking: 51
• Main clubs: Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr, Al-Ittihad
• How they qualified: Saudi Arabia finished first in Asia zone qualifying Group B
• Coach: Herve Renard, 54, was appointed to lead the Green Falcons in 2019. The Frenchman played as a defender for multiple clubs in his home country before embarking on a coaching career in 1999 involving stints in Europe, Asia and Africa. He won the Africa Cup of Nations with Zambia in 2012, and followed that up by making Ivory Coast champions of the same tournament in 2015 -- becoming the first manager to win it with different teams. Renard had less success in the Africa Cup of Nations with Morocco, resigning in 2019 after a surprise early loss to Benin.
• Key player: Winger Salem al-Dawsari, nicknamed "Tornado", is participating in his second World Cup after the 2018 tournament in Russia, where he scored the deciding goal in a 2-1 win over Egypt in the final seconds. He has also notched goals in the 2019 Asian Cup and the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo. During World Cup qualifiers, the 31-year-old saved Saudi Arabia from a humiliating loss to Yemen, scoring to force a 2-2 draw. He also gave his team three valuable points by scoring the winner against Uzbekistan, again in the dying seconds.

Group Fixtures & Matches

1. November 22: Argentina v Saudi Arabia
2. November 26: Poland v Saudi Arabia
3. November 30: Saudi Arabia v Mexico

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia@SaudiNT_EN | #FIFAWorldCup (25/33) pic.twitter.com/CPspwq0Tjz

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) November 16, 2022

Saudi Arabia's World Cup 2022 squad

Goalkeepers: Mohammed Al-Owais (Al-Hilal), Mohammed Al Rubaie Al-Yami (Al-Ahli), Nawaf Al-Aqidi (Al-Nassr)

Defenders: Yasser Al-Shahrani (Al-Hilal), Mohammed Al-Breik (Al-Hilal), Ali Al-Bulaihi (Al-Hilal), Sultan Al-Ghanam (Al-Nassr), Saud Abdulhamid (Al-Hilal), Abdulelah Al-Amri (Al-Nassr), Hassan Tambakti (Al-Shabab), Abdullah Madu (Al-Nassr)

Midfielders: Salman Al-Faraj (Al-Hilal), Salem Al-Dawsari (Al-Hilal), Nawaf Al-Abed (Al-Shabab), Abdullah Otayf (Al-Hilal), Hattan Bahebri (Al-Shabab), Mohamed Kanno (Al-Hilal), Abdulellah Al-Malki (Al-Hilal), Sami Al-Najei (Al-Nassr), Ali Al-Hassan (Al-Nassr), Nasser Al-Dawsari (Al-Hilal), Abdulrahman Al-Aboud (Al-Ittihad), Riyadh Sharahili (Abha)

Forwards: Firas Al-Buraikan (Al-Fateh), Saleh Al-Shehri (Al-Hilal), Haitham Asiri (Al-Ahli)