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.


Australia’s Green becomes IPL’s most expensive overseas player

Updated 16 December 2025
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Australia’s Green becomes IPL’s most expensive overseas player

  • Kolkata Knight Riders sign Cameron Green for $2.77 million at player auction for 2026 season
  • Aussie cricketer is set to play in the third Ashes test against England starting on Wednesday

Australia all-rounder Cameron Green became the most expensive overseas player in the Indian Premier League (IPL), after Kolkata Knight Riders signed him for 252 million Indian rupees ($2.77 million) at the player auction for the 2026 season in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.

Green, who was initially registered as a batsman due to an error, was the subject of intense bidding between Kolkata and Chennai Super Kings before being purchased by the three-times champions.

The 26-year-old is the third most expensive player in IPL history, after India’s Rishabh Pant (270 million Indian rupees) and Shreyas Iyer (267.5 million). “We are very happy. This is something that we were really focused on... I think he adds a lot to our team,” Kolkata CEO Venky Mysore said.

Australian Mitchell Starc, the previous most expensive foreign player in the competition, attracted a bid of 247.5 million Indian rupees in 2024 from Kolkata, who have made three of the five most expensive buys in IPL history.

Green, who missed the IPL this year as he was recovering from back surgery, is set to play in the third Ashes test against England starting on Wednesday.

Kolkata also spent big on Sri Lankan seamer Matheesha Pathirana and Bangladesh’s Mustafizur Rahman.

Five-time champions Chennai splurged 142 million Indian rupees each on wicketkeeper-batter Kartik Sharma, who has hit 16 sixes in this season’s Ranji Trophy, and all-rounder Prashant Veer, making them the most expensive uncapped signings in IPL history.

Delhi Capitals bought England batter Ben Duckett and South Africa’s David Miller for 20 million Indian rupees each.

The 19th edition of the IPL begins on March 26, after India co-hosts the Twenty20 World Cup starting in February.