Saudi Arabia opened the scoring at a World Cup for the first time in 31 years on Monday — and their only defender who doesn't play in the Saudi Pro League wasn't even in the starting XI. That tells you everything about where this project is heading.
A 1-1 draw with Uruguay in Miami is not the result that will make headlines for decades. But the context matters. This is a team that lost 8-0 to Germany at the 2002 World Cup. That same squad left Japan without a single point or goal. The Green Falcons in 2025 look nothing like that side.
The Ronaldo Effect — Via His Teammates
Abdulelah al Amri, who plays alongside Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr, became the first defender in Saudi Arabia's history to score at a World Cup. His goal — struck from a corner, the nation's first-ever at the tournament from that situation — put them ahead and had them closing in on three points before Maxi Araujo's 80th-minute equaliser.
Al Amri's only previous international goal was in a friendly against Kuwait in March 2021. He chose the right occasion to find his range.
Salem al Dawsari, 34 and captaining the side in his third World Cup, pulled the strings again. But the more interesting figure was 22-year-old Musab al Juwayr, who led all players in assists during qualifying with three. He is the kind of player the Saudis are betting on for the next decade — technically sharp, young, and already playing at this level. Whether he eventually attracts European interest will say a lot about how seriously the continent starts taking this league.
A New Coach 59 Days Out — And It Almost Worked
Saudi Arabia sacked Hervé Renard — the man who masterminded that famous win over Argentina in 2022 — and replaced him with Greek coach Georgios Donis just 59 days before kick-off against Uruguay. By almost any measure, that is a reckless timeline.
It nearly paid off anyway.
"Defensively it was very cohesive, in terms of the distances, the shape and between the lines," said former Scotland defender Rachel Corsie on BBC Radio 5 Live. That's a back line made almost entirely of Saudi Pro League players holding firm against a South American side. The late concession stings, but the structure was there.
The league itself has spent over £700m bringing in names like Neymar, Benzema, Sadio Mané, and Riyad Mahrez. Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr in 2023 and recently scored his 100th league goal. Benzema, after winning the Ballon d'Or, moved to Al-Ittihad. The argument was always that this investment would raise the standard of domestic football — and by extension, the national team. The evidence from Monday suggests there's something to that.
Whether Saudi Arabia can progress beyond the group stage for the first time since 1994 remains the real test. Uruguay held them. The two matches that follow will define the group, and the odds on Saudi Arabia qualifying will hinge heavily on how Donis sets them up against stronger opposition.
Mohamed Salah, fresh off leaving Liverpool, is reportedly wanted by Al-Ittihad. If he signs, Saudi football will be back on the front pages. But for now, the story is simpler: a country preparing to host a World Cup in 2034 just showed it can compete at one.
