Renard Names 23 for the Arab Cup 2025 as Saudi Arabia Aims High

Saudi Arabia Names 23 for the Arab Cup 2025

French coach Hervé Renard has named a 23-player squad for the Green to compete in the 2025 Arab Cup, signaling that the tournament is treated with seriousness rather than as a mere warm-up.

Saudi Arabia will field its core group in the Arab Cup, which is set to take place in Qatar from December 1 to 18, 2025.

Saudi Team Roster

Goalkeepers: Nawaf Al-Aqidi, Ragid Najar, Abdulrahman Al-Sanabi.

Defenders: Abdulilah Al-Omari, Walid Al-Ahmad, Nawaf Boshl, Mohammed Suleiman, Jihad Dhakri, Hassan Al-Tembakti, Ali Mujrashi.

Midfielders: Murad Al-Hosawi, Mohammed Abu Al-Shamat, Musab Al-Juwair, Mohammed Keno, Abdullah Al-Khibri, Ayman Yahya, Nasser Al-Dosari.

Forwards: Salem Al-Dosari, Abdulrahman Al-Aboud, Abdullah Al-Hamdan, Saleh Al-Shehri, Feras Al-Breikan, Saleh Abu Al-Shamat.

Six players were excluded: Saud Abdul-Hamid, Sultan Mandash, Metab Al-Harbi, Mohammed Al-Rubaei, Ziad Al-Juhani, and Marwan Al-Sahafi.

The Saudi newspaper Al-Riyadia reported that all players completed their most recent camp except Mohammed Abu Al-Shamat, who has not played for the senior side since January 2023 in a secondary squad under coach Saad Al-Sheari.

Group and Schedule

The Arab Cup draw placed Saudi Arabia in Group B with Morocco, and the winners of Oman–Somalia and Comoros–Yemen, in what is considered one of the competition’s strongest groups.

The Green begin their campaign on December 2 against the Oman-Somalia winner, then face the Comoros-Yemen winner on December 5, and finish the group stage against Morocco on December 8.

Ranking and Regional Context

Saudi Arabia slipped to 60th in the FIFA world rankings for November 2025, down from 58 the previous month. In Asia, they sit seventh behind Japan (18), Iran (20), South Korea (22), Australia (26), Qatar (51), and Iraq (58).

In the Arab region, Saudi Arabia sits sixth, behind Morocco (11), Egypt (34), Algeria (35), Tunisia (40), and Qatar (51). These rankings influence seedings for the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw scheduled for December 5 in the United States.

Coaches’ Perspectives

Sami Al-Jaber, a Saudi football legend, praised Renard’s courage in treating the Arab Cup as a serious title bid, not just an exercise. He said: “Renard’s honesty is refreshing; Saudi should participate in every competition and aim to win.”

Al-Jaber added that the national team should be active in the Arab Cup rather than locking players in a six-month camp, arguing that competing for the trophy motivates players to perform at their best rather than merely simulate matches.

Renard has stressed that the squad chosen for Qatar should reflect the core group that could also feature at the 2026 World Cup, making this Arab Cup a meaningful preparatory test for future campaigns.

Renard has also indicated he will continue monitoring players in a high-level, competitive environment, using the Arab Cup to explore different formations and address defensive and offensive gaps as part of the broader World Cup build-up.

Nelo (Nelo) Vingada, the veteran Portuguese coach who previously led Saudi, offered his take on the current state of the team. He noted a decline from the 2022 World Cup level and attributed part of that to a higher number of foreign players in domestic leagues, which reduces opportunities for homegrown players.

Vingada explained that in 2022, Saudi players were regulars in their clubs, gaining fitness and confidence that contributed to the famous win over Argentina. Now, with fewer minutes for key domestic players, this advantage has diminished, affecting overall national-team performance.

He added that the 2025 Arab Cup could serve as a crucial platform to rebuild form and test new approaches ahead of the 2026 World Cup, while acknowledging the ongoing challenge of maintaining a competitive domestic league balance.

Punchline time: If Renard’s plan turns the Arab Cup into a launchpad, the trophy will be as polite as a barista—smiles all around, but the espresso is purely tactical.

Punchline time 2: And if defense is a wall, Saudi’s will be a stylish fence—looks solid until the attacker decides to go on a sightseeing tour. Humor aside, let’s see if the greenery stays green at kickoff.