Renard Announces Saudi Arabia Squad for 2026 World Cup Playoff

French coach Hervé Renard has revealed Saudi Arabia’s official squad for the Asian playoff of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. 

The Green Falcons will face Indonesia on October 8 and Iraq on October 15.

The list featured several surprises, including the exclusion of experienced defenders Ali Lajami, Abdulelah Al-Amri, and Ali Al-Bulayhi, with young players such as Jihad Zekri and Mohammed Suleiman stepping in.

European-based players Saud Abdulhamid (Lens, France) and Mohannad Al-Saad (Lausanne, Switzerland) were also included.

Squad list:

Goalkeepers: Nawaf Al-Aqidi, Abdulrahman Al-Sanabi, Mohammed Al-Yami, Raghid Najjar.

Defenders: Saud Abdulhamid, Ali Majrashi, Hassan Tambakti, Saad Al-Mousa, Mohammed Suleiman, Jihad Zekri, Muteb Al-Harbi, Nawaf Boushal.

Midfielders: Abdullah Al-Khaibari, Mohammed Kanno, Ziyad Al-Juhani, Musab Al-Juwair, Ali Al-Hassan, Nasser Al-Dosari, Marwan Al-Sahafi, Mohannad Al-Saad, Saleh Abu Al-Shamat, Abdullah Al-Hamdan, Ayman Yahya, Abdulrahman Al-Oboud, Salem Al-Dawsari.

Forwards: Firas Al-Buraikan, Saleh Al-Shehri.