Saudi Arabia arrives in 2026 as the one team in the tournament that can say, without anyone arguing, that they beat the eventual champions in the last one. Lusail Stadium. November 22, 2022. Argentina were up 1-0 through Messi from the spot, Saudi Arabia were being written off at half-time, and then two goals in five minutes — Al-Shehri and then Al-Dawsari's curler into the top corner — flipped the group and most of the betting markets on earth.
Three and a half years later, a lot of that team is still here. Hervé Renard, the French manager who coached them through that tournament, left and came back and is now in his second spell. The Saudi Pro League has poured money into the domestic game in a way that's reshaped the sport — Ronaldo at Al-Nassr, Neymar briefly at Al-Hilal, a dozen European stars who moved for contracts that rewrote the market. Readers know the backdrop. The national team sits inside all of it.
Don't expect flash. Renard's sides defend in a block, break on the wings, and score from set pieces and Al-Dawsari moments. They drew a tough Group L. They won't score many. But if they keep a clean sheet for 70 minutes, anything can happen — and they've already proven it once.
The Al-Hilal captain who scored the goal against Argentina in Lusail — left-footed, cut inside two defenders, top-corner finish — and who remains the most important Saudi attacker of his generation. He's 34 now and in the veteran phase of his career, but Hervé Renard has kept him as the fulcrum. If Saudi Arabia create something this summer, he's probably at the end of it.
The other scorer from Lusail 2022 — poacher's finish, six minutes before Al-Dawsari's winner. Al-Ittihad striker, quiet off the pitch, ruthless when a ball sits up in the six-yard box. His role now is to press and finish, which is exactly the job description for a Saudi side built on a deep defense and quick transitions.
The Al-Ahli forward who's become the long-term answer up top — tall, physical, actually good with his back to goal, which is rare in this squad. He was a kid playing for Al-Nassr's reserves when Cristiano Ronaldo arrived in Riyadh; now he's the one carrying the shirt. Expect him starting if the team needs to hold a lead.
Kabsa is the whole country on one platter. Long-grain basmati cooked in a spiced broth — black lime, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon — piled under a chicken or a lamb shoulder that's been slow-cooked until it falls off the bone. You eat it with your hands, from the same tray, with tomato-based daqoos on the side and Arabic coffee after. Nothing about it is quick.
Afrah Mediterranean in downtown Richardson — technically a Lebanese restaurant, but the Gulf-style rice-and-lamb platters land here as well as anywhere in DFW, and the family that runs it has been doing this on East Main Street since 2002. The buffet runs weekday lunch, the bakery case is worth an extra 20 minutes, and the neighborhood around it is the center of gravity for North Texas's Arab American community. Call ahead on a match day.
A soundtrack for the matches, the pregame, and the afterparty.
Saudi support is more measured than what you'll see from South American or European sides — no drums in the aisle, no 90-minute singing — but don't mistake calm for quiet. The Green Falcons traveled in huge numbers to Qatar in 2022, green shirts and flags everywhere, and the noise when Salem Al-Dawsari rolled in the winner against Argentina was the loudest single moment of that group stage. Expect flags, expect chanting in the big moments, expect fans who flew a very long way and are not leaving early. Many will be making a summer out of it — a first trip to the U.S., a family pilgrimage scheduled around three group matches.
Saudi Arabia's 2-1 win over Argentina to open the 2022 World Cup is the only match Lionel Messi lost at a senior World Cup from 2018 onward. The day after, the Saudi king declared a national holiday.