Saudi squad announced for upcoming World Cup qualifier against Pakistan, Jordan

This file photograph, taken on November 17, 2023, shows Saudi and Pakistani football players during their World Cup Qualifiers match in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. (Photo courtesy: FootballPakistan.Com/File)
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Updated 24 May 2024
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Saudi squad announced for upcoming World Cup qualifier against Pakistan, Jordan

  • The Green Falcons will play Pakistan on June 6 in Islamabad and host Jordan on June 11 in Riyadh
  • A preparation camp will be held in Riyadh next Thursday, except for Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr players

RIYADH: Saudi national team boss Roberto Mancini announced the 31-player list in preparation for the fifth and sixth games of the 2026 World Cup and the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.

The Green Falcons will play Pakistan on June 6 in Islamabad and host Jordan on June 11 in Riyadh.

A preparation camp will be held in Riyadh next Thursday, except for Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr players, who will join their teammates on June 2, after the King’s Cup final between the two Riyadh giants.

Saudi National Team Squad for World Cup & Asian Cup Qualifiers

Goalkeepers: Mohammed Al-Owais, Ahmed Al-Kassar, Raghed Najjar, Mohammed Al-Yami, and Mohammed Al-Absi.

Defenders: Mutib Al-Harbi, Hassan Kadesh, Ali Al-Bulaihi, Aoun Al-Saluli, Ali Lagami, Hassan Al-Tumbakti, Saud Abdulhamid, and Mohammed Al-Buraik.

Midfielders: Mukhtar Ali, Abdullah Al-Khaibari, Musab Al-Juwair, Mohammed Kanno, Rayan Hamed, Sultan Al-Ghannam, Nasser Al-Dawsari, Faisal Al-Ghamdi, and Abbas Al-Hassan.

Attackers: Salem Al-Dawsari, Sami Al-Najai, Ayman Yahya, Marwan Al-Sahafi, Abdulrahman Gharib, Ahmed Al-Ghamdi, Abdullah Radif, Abdullah Al-Hamdan, and Firas Al-Burikan.

Al-Nassr’s Sultan Al-Ghannam returns to the squad after he and five other Saudi internationals were hit with punishments for disciplinary violations before the AFC Asian Cup held in Qatar.

The wing-back took to X and said he was happy to return to the squad.

“Representing the national team is an unparalleled honor. I thank those in charge of the team, including the administrative and technical bodies, and I hope that I, along with the rest of my teammates, will provide a level that is worthy of the reputation of Saudi football,” he added.


US invests in counter-drone tech to protect FIFA World Cup venues

Updated 13 January 2026
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US invests in counter-drone tech to protect FIFA World Cup venues

The US will invest $115 million in counter-drone measures to bolster security around the FIFA World Cup and ​America’s 250th Anniversary celebrations, the Department of Homeland Security said on Monday, the latest sign of governments stepping up drone defenses.

The FIFA World Cup will be a major test of President Donald Trump’s pledge to keep the US ‌secure, with over ‌a million travelers expected ‌to ⁠visit ​for ‌the tournament and billions more watching matches from overseas.

The threat of drone attacks has become a growing concern since the war in Ukraine has demonstrated their lethal capabilities. And recent drone incidents have worried both ⁠European and US airports.

“We are entering a new era ‌to defend our air ‍superiority to protect our ‍borders and the interior of the ‍United States,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement. Defense companies are developing a range of technologies aimed at countering drones, including ​tracking software, lasers, microwaves and autonomous machine guns.

The DHS did not specify ⁠which technologies it would deploy to World Cup venues. The announcement comes weeks after the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which sits under DHS, said it granted $250 million to 11 states hosting World Cup matches to buy counter-drone technologies.

Last summer, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, called on Trump, a Republican, to bolster federal support for ‌defending against drone attacks.