Saudi Arabia’s Two Backup Plans Emerge as Qatar Festival Doubts Loom
10 March 2026
Two backup plans emerge as the Qatar festival faces uncertainty
The Saudi national team has drawn up two fallback options to face Egypt and Serbia in friendlies if the Qatar Football Festival is canceled in March.
Originally, the Green were slated to play two friendlies against Egypt and Serbia on March 26 and 30, as part of the Qatar Football Festival, in preparation for World Cup 2026 in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
Although no official cancellation has been announced yet, all signs point to a potential halt given the recent missile and airstrikes on Qatar in the last days.
Saudi outlets reveal the two backup plans
The Saudi daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat reported two contingency options: the first is to stage the two friendlies against Egypt and Serbia in an internal camp in Jeddah.
The second option would be to hold the matches at an external camp in a European country, with other options not yet disclosed.
The Green aim to be fully prepared for World Cup 2026, which places them in Group 8 with Spain, Uruguay and Cape Verde.
Humor time: If plan A and plan B collapse, the team will call it a master class in improvisation, the football version of a reality show. And if all else fails, the coach will say the pre-tournament phase was a strategic coffee break that somehow led to the main event.
