Saud Abdulhamid's car was broken into in Amsterdam during his own wedding celebrations, leaving him without a passport and unable to join Saudi Arabia's World Cup preparations on schedule.
The Saudi Arabian Football Federation confirmed the incident on Monday. Abdulhamid had been in the Netherlands with his family for his wedding ceremony when his private vehicle was broken into, with personal belongings — including his passport — taken. The SAFF is now coordinating with the Saudi Embassy in the Netherlands to get the necessary travel documents issued as quickly as possible.
Abdulhamid might be late, but Saudi Arabia can't afford distractions
The timing is genuinely awkward. Saudi Arabia have already flown to the United States for training camps in New York and Texas, with friendlies against Ecuador, Puerto Rico, and Senegal lined up as final preparation ahead of the tournament. Abdulhamid will join late — how late depends on how fast the embassy moves.
The RC Lens loanee (from AS Roma) has been included in new coach Georgios Donis's 30-man preliminary squad, so his place in the group isn't under threat for now. But any defender missing chunks of pre-tournament camp, especially under a newly appointed manager still building his systems, is a disruption the team doesn't need.
Saudi Arabia land in Group H, where they face Spain, Uruguay, and Cape Verde. Spain alone makes that group a serious test. Their opening matches run from June 15 to 26, which means squad cohesion built in these US camps matters — it's not just going through the motions. Any uncertainty around Saudi's defensive shape makes them harder to back in the group stage opener, whenever Spain come calling.
- Saudi Arabia's Group H opponents: Spain, Uruguay, Cape Verde
- Group H dates: June 15–26, 2026
- US training opponents: Ecuador, Puerto Rico, Senegal
For now, it's a logistical headache rather than a crisis. But the SAFF statement made clear the issue isn't resolved yet — they're still working with authorities on the investigation and with the embassy on replacement documents. Until Abdulhamid is on a plane, it stays unresolved.
