The journey of the Saudi national football team faces many questions regarding the absence of major titles during Yasser Al-Mishal's presidency of the Saudi Football Federation, which began in 2019. Despite the relative administrative and technical stability that the federation witnessed, the final result was a series of participations in regional, continental and international tournaments without achieving gold, which made the fans describe this period as "lean years" in terms of tangible achievements.
Highlights and sad endings in the World Cup
Looking back at the highlights, the national team participated in the 2022 World Cup held in Qatar, where the "Green Falcons" made history in their opening match with a resounding and historic victory over Argentina (the eventual champions). This victory was a footballing earthquake that raised expectations, but reality proved different, as their journey ended in the group stage after losses to Poland and Mexico, leaving their heroic performance as a fond memory without qualification for the knockout rounds.
The complex of continental and regional championships
On the continental level, the Asian Cup presented the biggest challenge that the federation failed to overcome. In the 2019 and 2023 editions, the "Green Falcons" failed to reclaim the title that had eluded them since 1996, and the national team exited the competition early, which came as a shock to the Saudi sports community, which had hoped to see them once again reign supreme in Asia.
Regionally, the situation remained unchanged in the Arabian Gulf Cup tournaments, with the Saudi national team participating in the 24th and 25th editions. Despite reaching the final in the 24th edition, the title ultimately eluded them. In the Arab context, the team competed in the 2021 Arab Cup, and in the 2025 Arab Cup, their journey ended in the semi-finals. They also participated in the CONCACAF Gold Cup as a guest team, without reaching the podium.
General context and the impact of the absence of titles
These results are particularly significant and sensitive given the major transformations taking place in Saudi sports within the framework of "Vision 2030." The Saudi Professional League has witnessed remarkable leaps forward with the attraction of international stars and the privatization of clubs, raising the level of competitiveness and market value of the league to be among the best in the world. This tremendous development in infrastructure and the domestic league has placed added pressure on the Saudi Arabian Football Federation and the national team to keep pace with this progress by achieving international successes commensurate with the generous government support.
The continued absence of the Saudi national team from the podium opens the door wide to discussing technical plans and strategies for preparing national teams, as the Saudi sports community awaits the translation of unlimited support into cups and titles that restore the prestige of Saudi football and confirm its leadership not only through hosting tournaments, but also by winning them.
