Saud Abdulhamid, a defender from French club Lens and winner of this year's French Cup, is the sole player based abroad in Saudi Arabia's 26-man World Cup squad announced on June 1 by coach Georgios Donis [1, 2]. Abdulhamid also serves as the team captain.
Forward Salem Al Dawsari will make his third World Cup appearance, having played in both the 2018 and 2022 editions [1, 2]. Goalkeeper Mohamed Al Owais, age 34, brings valuable experience with four previous World Cup matches under his belt [1, 2].
Defender Hassan Tambakti and midfielder Mohamed Kanno, both from domestic powerhouse Al Hilal, add further maturity to the squad [1, 2]. Midfielder Mohammed Abu Alshamat from Al Qadsiah, selected for the finals, is the twin brother of Saleh Abu Alshamat from Al Ahli who was not chosen [1, 2].
Saudi Arabia lost 2-1 to Ecuador in a friendly match on June 7, their final warm-up under Donis before the tournament [1, 2]. The team will also play warm-up games against Puerto Rico and Senegal prior to the World Cup [1, 2].
Saudi Arabia is drawn in Group H for the tournament, set to face Uruguay on June 15 in Miami, Spain on June 21 in Atlanta, and Cape Verde on June 26 in Houston [1, 2]. The 2026 World Cup runs from June 11 to July 19 [1, 2].