From Glory to Gloom: Why Did Saudi Arabia’s Green Army Slide After Qatar 2022?

A Galaxy of Foreign Stars

In the wake of the 2022 World Cup, the Saudi Football Federation implemented a bold policy: clubs could register unlimited foreign players during transfer windows, with a final squad cap of eight foreigners and three under-21 internationals. The aim was to lift the league's quality and attract world-renowned talent. Yet critics warned that bringing in global strikers might push Saudi forwards to the bench, potentially thinning the pool of homegrown scorers and complicating national-team selection.

Club decisions aside, veteran Majed Abdullah, Saudi Arabia’s all-time top scorer with 72 goals, warned that the trend could undermine national depth by sidelining domestic forwards in favor of overseas stars.

Coaching Instability

After the departure of Hervé Renard, the federation named Roberto Mancini as head coach in August 2023, only to dismiss him less than a year later due to disappointing results. Mancini’s tenure encompassed 17 matches: seven wins, five losses, and five draws. In October 2024, the federation turned back to Renard, aiming for continuity and familiarity ahead of critical AFC qualifiers.

Watching the team, it was clear that the results did not always reflect potential. Players showed flashes, but the overall preparation and tactical consistency often fell short in decisive matches.

Mass Changes

Under Mancini, the team roster featured frequent changes, with as many as 30 different starters across the first nine matches of the qualifying campaign and a total of 38 changes in starting lineups. The frequent shuffling created a lack of rhythm and made it harder for players to settle into a consistent game plan.

The Injury Curse

Injuries plagued the Greens in recent years, undermining key periods and undermining momentum. Notable concerns included crashes during camps and in preparation matches, along with absences for important fixtures against teams like Japan. The ongoing injury wave limited options and forced coaches to adapt much more quickly than ideal.

In the extended run, injuries also affected the squad at major events like the Gold Cup 2025, contributing to exits in the knockout stages and further complicating the team’s build-up to the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Renard’s Obduracy

Critics argued that Renard’s preference for a fixed group of players and certain selections persisted too long, while calls from media and fans for a broader refresh—such as incorporating Abdullah Al-Salem or younger talents—were not consistently heeded. This perceived stubbornness fed narratives of stagnation and limited the national team’s adaptability for different opponents and match contexts.

The squad also faced selection debates about established players like Ali Al-Bulayhi versus emerging talents such as Ali Laqami or Saad Al-Mousa, complicating the balance between experience and renewal. The broader point: without a coherent long-term plan, constant reshuffling can undermine cohesion on the pitch.

As recently reported, the October schedule included a match against Indonesia followed by a meeting with Iraq in Jeddah, a schedule that offered a real chance to reboot momentum and push toward qualification for the 2026 World Cup. The Asia qualifying format divides groups with the top team advancing directly, while the runners-up face a playoff to reach the global playoff round.

Overall, the analysis points to a trio of causes: a boom in foreign talent without commensurate national-team development, a lack of stable technical leadership, and injuries that repeatedly disrupted plans. The result is a peak of potential followed by a trough in results, a familiar tale for a team chasing consistency on the world stage.

In short: the Green Falcons have the talent; what’s missing is continuity, a clear development path for domestic players, and a few clean sheets of luck in the injury ledger. The road to 2026 is still alive, but it demands sharper planning and steadier hands on the tiller.

Punchline 1: If tactics were sniper bullets, Saudi plans would still miss the target—twice—while the coach checks his notes for the third time.

Punchline 2: The ball is round, the plan is circular, and the only thing that’s truly on target is the rumor mill about next changes. Let’s hope the greens finally aim straight.