Historic Destiny: Will Saudi Arabia Rewrite World Cup 2026 History?

Historically memorable moments

With every Saudi qualification to the World Cup, fans roll up their sleeves and dream of a historic, record breaking chapter. Yet those dreams often fade after the group stage, as the Green struggle to advance. This time, hope feels plausible, as the team arrives in 2026 with elements that could fuel a historic campaign.

A pragmatic path into the knockout rounds

The Saudi national team heads to the 2026 World Cup, hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, carrying a history Saudis proudly own. Nearly 31 years ago, in 1994, the Green reached the World Cup for the first time, in the only edition held in the United States so far. That qualification was more than a milestone; the performances that year remain Saudi Arabia’s best World Cup showing.

The Green were drawn into a fiery group with the Netherlands, Belgium, and Morocco. The opening was tough as Saudi led early through a Fayez Anwar goal in the 18th minute against the Dutch, but the Netherlands turned things around with two goals, one in the 86th minute, delivering Saudi its first World Cup defeat.

Saudi regrouped, beating Morocco 2-1, then pulled off a historic upset by defeating Belgium 1-0 thanks to Saeed Al Owairan's iconic strike, advancing as group leaders. Despite a Round of 16 exit to Sweden 3-1, that edition remains etched in memory as Saudi Arabia's best World Cup performance.

Reality can be easier. If Saudi topped their group in 1994 to reach the Round of 16, in 2026 they may not need to top the group or even finish second; a third place could suffice. This edition is the first with 36 teams, prompting a new knockout structure where 32 advance from the group stage.

Under the new format, the top two teams from each group of 12 advance, plus the eight best third-placed teams. That means some nations could progress with as few as three points, while four could be enough to reach the Round of 32. This context gives Saudi a real chance to reach the knockout stage again, perhaps even shaping a deeper run.

The Green also bring growing experience, having participated in six World Cups since 1994, including recent campaigns in 2018 and 2022. In those editions, they won group games against Egypt in 2018 and against Argentina in 2022, a result that reverberated around the globe. Repeating such a victory in 2026 would push Saudi into the top eight of third-placed teams in the knockout phase. The team now enjoys more Arab representation in the World Cup, tied with Morocco and Tunisia on seven appearances, and behind only Iran, Korea, and Japan in Asia. The squad features players who played in 2022 in Qatar and who witnessed the historic win over Argentina, bringing confidence for the journey ahead.

Punchline time: If their dream were a sniper rifle, it would be a precision shot right into the history books. Punchline two: by the time you finish your coffee, the Green might already be sprinting toward the knockout rounds, because in football as in life, timing is everything.