Old Curse, New Hope: Saudi Arabia's World Cup Dream Hinges on Iraq Showdown
12 October 2025
Old Curse Revisited
Saudi Arabia are counting on several outcomes as they face Iraq in the final match of Group A in the AFC Asian playoff for a 2026 World Cup berth.
A draw or victory would send the Green straight to the finals, as the World Cup expands to 48 teams across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Saudi Arabia beat Indonesia 3-2 in the opener, while Indonesia had earlier lost to Iraq 1-0, making the Saudi-Iraqi clash the decider for direct qualification, with the runner-up going into the global playoff.
An Old Curse
The Green must lay to rest an age-old curse that has lingered through recent campaigns.
In the 2010 World Cup qualifiers for South Africa, Saudi faced a tough route after finishing third and entering a AFC playoff, then facing Bahrain; a goalless first leg kept hopes alive in Manama, but the return leg produced a dramatic turnaround. A late equalizer by Ismail Abdulatif for Bahrain, followed by a stoppage-time goal by Hamad Al-Montashri for Saudi, left the tie balanced 2-2, and Bahrain advanced on away goals, etching a painful memory for Saudi fans.
In the 1986 Mexico qualifiers, Saudi played a knockout tie with the UAE; UAE won 1-0 in Dubai and progressed, a setback that remained a sore memory for Saudi supporters.
The recurring knockout trap has haunted Saudi, a burden Renard inherits as he aims to guide the team to the World Cup finals once again as the tournament expands to 48 teams.
Renard’s Dream and the Road Ahead
French coach Hervé Renard carries the nation’s hopes of reaching the 2026 finals. A qualification would make him the first Saudi coach to take the side to the World Cup twice (2022 and 2026) and the fourth foreign manager to achieve that, after precedents from Germany, Argentina, and the Netherlands.
Renard’s work is built on a balance of discipline, pressing, and counter-attacking ideas as they prepare for a must-win meeting with Iraq, with the possibility of a playoff if needed.
Saudi’s historical lineage of coaches who brought the team to the World Cup includes Mohammed Khraishi (1994), Otto Pfister (1998), Slobodan Santraš (2002), Gabriel Calderón (2006), and Bert van Marwijk (2018), illustrating the long road to the global stage.
Renard, who reached the World Cup with Saudi in 2022, now eyes another appearance. If 2026 finals are staged in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, Renard would join a select group of coaches who have guided Saudi to the World Cup more than once.
Saudi preparation focuses on closing the gap with Iraq, balancing defense and attack, and staying focused on a game that could define the next phase of their football journey.
The road to the 2026 World Cup remains long, but Renard’s leadership could turn the corner on the curse and write a fresh, proud chapter for Saudi football.
The push to the finish line sets the stage for a tense, emotionally charged night as Saudi supporters hope to seal direct qualification to the World Cup finals.
Fans await a moment of triumph that would elevate a generation of players and staff into the annals of home football history.
And if the result doesn’t go as hoped, the next chapter will still begin with a new coach and a renewed belief that the dream survives—one goal, one game at a time.
Punchline 1: If the ball has a mood, it’ll break up with luck tonight—unless it sees a goal post and proposes, “Be mine.”
Punchline 2: They say fortune favors the brave; in Saudi football, fortune often favors the snack vendor—the real MVPs of matchday morale.
