The plan

Where to start? Perhaps towards the end of April when Hervé Renard was fired as head coach and then replaced by Georgios Donis. The Greek winger, formerly of Blackburn Rovers, will pick his squad without overseeing a game. 

Renard was in charge from 2019 to 2023 and oversaw that famous win over Argentina at the Qatar World Cup but broke football’s “never go back” rule in October 2024, succeeding his successor Roberto Mancini who never looked like the right fit. The Frenchman’s second spell was underwhelming and without the tournament’s expansion, the Green Falcons would not have made it and only just scraped through as it was.

“That’s football … Saudi Arabia have qualified for the World Cup seven times, including twice with me,” Renard said as he left.  “And there’s only one coach who has led them through both the qualifiers and the World Cup; that’s me, in 2022. At least there will be that sense of pride.”

That sense had taken a bit of a battering with a 4-0 home loss to Arab rivals Egypt in March. “It could have been 6-0 by half-time,” sniffed 1994 hero Saeed Al-Owairan. There were already mutterings about Renard, intensified by reports that he had talked to Ghana about their vacant position and soon, it was all over. In Saudi Arabia it is the timing of the sacking, more than the decision itself, that has been criticised.

Donis is likely to go with a 4-2-3-1 and, with time limited, making the team hard to beat could be the best bet as there were no clean sheets in Renard’s final eight games. Goals are an issue too. Just seven were scored in 10 games in the main round of qualification and none of those from recognised strikers. 

There is talent and, now, perhaps a little less pressure. There are also other things to think about. Saudi Arabia are hosting the Asian Cup for the first time next January and looking for a first continental title since 1996 and this is where preparations for the 2034 World Cup really start.

The coach

Giorgios Donis’s first competitive game as head coach is going to come against Marcelo Bielsa and Uruguay and the Greek doesn't have much time to get ready. Donis has coached four different Saudi Pro League clubs and knows the league and players, which is why he got the job. He did a decent job in taking Al-Khaleej to mid-table this season, about as high as the easterners were ever going to get in the league, playing some decent football along the way.

Star player 

Salem Al-Dawsari. The Asian Player of the Year scored the winning goal against Argentina in 2022 and has consistently been one of the stars of Al-Hilal, cutting in from the left to maximum effect. That he is still the main man despite approaching 35 is a cause for concern and while he hasn’t been at his best for the national team of late – and has also missed a few penalties that would have made Mancini’s time much easier – he can still make things happen, especially on the biggest of stages.

One to watch

Musab Al-Juwayr is only 22 but has already made more than 30 appearances for the Green Falcon. More is still expected of the creative midfielder who won the Saudi Pro League’s Most Promising Player award last season for his vision, passing skills and ability to slow things down when others are rushing around. Then moved to Al-Qadsiah and in the east he has been given more playing time by Brendan Rodgers and has helped the club to a top four finish. He’s just getting started.

Unsung hero

Firas Al-Buraikan. Saudi strikers do get a bad press. As well as being constantly compared to famous foreign forwards, they also tend to be the subject of angst-ridden conversations of a lack of playing time. Al-Buraikan is only 25 but feels like he has been around for a decade. At club level has scored goals when given time and opportunities. Hasn’t quite become the undisputed No 9 for his country that many expected but never stops working or running and the winning goal in the Asian Champions League final in April should have him full of confidence.

What to expect from fans at games

Well-represented at the Fifa Club World Cup when Al-Hilal impressed, sources say ticket sales have been “steady” from fans in the country and with the Saudi community in the United States, there should be a few thousand in Miami, Atlanta and Houston. In the Saudi Pro League at least, fans are often young, enthusiastic and vocal and are famous in Asia for their elite-level tifos. They also create an atmosphere of their own that doesn’t just mimic the European ultras.

This article is part of JoySports' collaboration with The Guardian. The cooperation enables readers to access team news, previews, and more from all 48 teams that qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026.