Doha Delights: Saudi Arabia's Four Unforgettable Feats in Qatar

Entering the 2025 Arab Cup in Doha, the Saudi national team aims to add another crown to a history full of milestones, proudly wearing the green jersey as they chase glory on Qatari soil.

Doha hosts the Arab competition and serves as a stage where decades of achievement converge: from the earliest World Cup breakthroughs to a historic Asian Cup triumph, all achieved on a field in Qatar.

Let’s revisit four unforgettable achievements by the Green Falcons on Qatari soil.

Arab Cup Triumphs on Qatari Soil

Doha’s hosting of the Arab event spurred the Green Falcons to chase the title for the third time in their history, and the first since 23 years ago, with the second title won on Qatari soil after the first crown 27 years earlier.

In late September 1998, Qatar hosted the Arab Cup for the first time in its history, just months after the 1998 World Cup in France where the hosts captured the World Cup title. The Saudis emerged as Arab Cup champions, beating the host in the final 3-1 to lift the trophy on Qatari soil.

Saudi also played warm-up matches in Doha, including a 3-1 win over Algeria and a 4-1 win over Lebanon, which helped them top the group and proceed with confidence to the knockout rounds, culminating in the trophy.

In the semifinal, the Green Falcons beat Kuwait 2-1, and in the final, they defeated Qatar 3-1 to clinch the Arab Cup title, adding a distinctive line to the nation’s Arab trophy cabinet.

The First World Cup Berth

Five years before that memorable Arab Cup triumph, Saudi Arabia celebrated its most significant football moment on Qatari soil: a World Cup berth for the first time in the country’s history.

In May 1993, Saudi Arabia advanced from the Asian qualifiers to the final qualifying round for the 1994 World Cup in the United States, joining a group of four more teams in the decisive stage hosted in Doha in October 1993, alongside Iraq, Iran, North Korea, South Korea and Japan.

Saudi started with a goalless draw against Japan, beat North Korea 2-1, and drew with South Korea and Iraq. On October 28, 1993, Saudi faced Iran at the Khalifa International Stadium, leading the group on 5 points and ahead of the others by a narrow margin.

After a marathon contest, Saudi prevailed 4-3 to top the group and secure a place in the World Cup finals for the first time in their history—this time, clinched from Qatar’s capital city.

The Second World Cup

Although the final round of qualification for the next World Cup was not a pure single-host marathon, Saudi still qualified for the 1998 World Cup, thanks to a strong campaign in the final qualifiers.

In a home-and-away series concluded in March 1997, Saudi found themselves in a group with Iran, China, Qatar, and Kuwait, with the winner directly advancing to the World Cup.

The team battled hard, finishing second with 11 points, just one behind Iran. The decisive match would take place in Doha, where the Saudis needed a win to secure direct qualification.

On November 12, 1997, under the lights of the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium, Saudi completed the mission with a 1-0 victory over Qatar, earning a second World Cup appearance and, remarkably, another successful campaign launched from Qatar.

Historic Asian Cup Glory

Around nine years earlier, Saudi Arabia had already etched a historic moment on Qatari soil by winning the Asian Cup for the second time, and back-to-back, entering the tournament as the defending champion from 1984.

In December 1988, Qatar hosted the ninth Asian Cup with ten teams. Saudi sat in Group 2 alongside China, Syria, Kuwait, and Bahrain, topping the group with six points and advancing to the semi-finals along with China.

In the semi-final, Saudi defeated Iran 1-0 with a goal from Majed Abdullah, setting up a final against South Korea on December 18, 1988, at the Doha Club Stadium.

After 120 minutes of goalless play, Saudi clinched the Asian Cup title by penalties, 4-3, to claim the trophy for the second consecutive time on Qatari soil.

Punchline: If you think a stadium says it all, think again—the Green Falcons turned Doha into a goal-scoring factory, with the crowd adding the soundtrack of their dreams.

Punchline 2: And remember, in football as in life, sometimes the only thing louder than a roar is the laughter when the referee points to the center again.