Green on the Brink: Saudi Arabia Set for Arab Cup 2025 Warm-Ups Against Ivory Coast and Algeria
30 October 2025
Arab Cup 2025 Preparation
The Saudi Football Federation has confirmed two friendlies in November as part of their build-up for the Arab Cup 2025 in Qatar. The Green will face Ivory Coast on November 14 at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium in Jeddah.
The second warm-up pits Hervé Renard’s Saudi side against Algeria on November 18 at the same venue. These fixtures come as the team readies itself for a challenging Group B that also includes Morocco, plus the winners of the Oman-Somalia clash and the Comoros-Yemen fixture.
World Cup Qualification and Renard’s Return
Earlier, Saudi Arabia secured a place at the 2026 World Cup via the Asian playoff staged in Jeddah last month. The Green beat Indonesia 3-2 in the group stage before a goalless draw with Iraq, allowing them to top the group on goal difference and advance directly to the finals, with Iraq moving to the global playoff.
Renard, the French coach who first led Saudi to the 2022 World Cup and a historic win over Argentina, returned to the helm in October 2024 after a stint with France’s women's team. He has since emphasized discipline, structure, and balance, even as he faced questions about squad rotations during the campaign.
Looking Ahead
The plan centers on tight defensive organization, high press in midfield, and quick transitions from defense to attack, as Renard works to rebuild the team’s consistency ahead of major tournaments. The revived Saudi football scene is evident, with talented players shining domestically and continentally, led by Salem Al-Dawsari, captain of Al-Hilal and Asia’s player of the year.
The Green hope to translate this momentum into strong showings at the Arab Cup and beyond, aiming to emulate past successes and push toward a competitive 2026 World Cup campaign.
Punchline 1: If patience is a virtue, Renard’s players are saints—defense so solid it makes a brick wall look soft. Punchline 2: In Saudi football, the calendar is a suggestion, but the dream of a World Cup is mandatory.
