Saudi Arabia’s Bold Budget, Bold Ambitions: Arab Cup Takes Center Stage

Focus on Arab Cup as World Cup draw looms

Nofal Al-Aqidi, the Saudi national team goalkeeper, refused to discuss his expectations for the 2026 World Cup draw, stressing that the team's focus remains on the Arab Cup which kicks off today.

Saudi Arabia open their Arab Cup campaign against Oman in the group stage's opening match.

In the press conference, Al-Aqidi said, "The Arab Cup is extremely important to us, and I hope we start it well."

Saudi fans always support us, and we hope to bring them joy, especially since the Green have won the title twice.

He added: "The World Cup is an important tournament for us, and we can't predict the draw, which does not distract us now as we focus only on the Arab Cup."

Asked why the Saudi domestic league's strength does not always translate into results for the national team, he replied, "We back our leadership in development, and these are our billions and we spend them as we please. Tomorrow you will see the Saudi team prevail historically over Oman."

He added, "I have great confidence in the players and their ability to deliver strong matches, especially against well-organized teams like Oman."

We are physically and mentally ready for the tournament, and our goal is to please the fans and achieve the best results.

Saudi Arabia are drawn in a group with Oman, Comoros, and Morocco.

Punchline 1: If billions could score goals, Saudi would top the charts every season.

Punchline 2: In football, as in mega budgets, the highlight reel always outshines the blooper reel.