Saudi Arabia
National Team Information
General Info
Green Falcons, Arabia Falcons
- Majed Abdullah – Goals: 72
- Sami Al-Jaber – Goals: 46
- Yasser Al-Qahtani – Goals: 42
- Obeid Al-Dosari – Goals: 41
- Talal Al-Meshal – Goals: 32
Majed Abdullah is Saudi Arabia’s all-time top scorer with 72 goals and is one of the greatest Asian strikers. Abdullah won two AFC Asian Cups with the Green Falcons and was a member of the 1994 team that made the round of 16 in their first World Cup appearance. Abdullah’s nickname was the “Arabian Jewel” and he spent his whole club career with Al-Nassr.
Saeed Al-Owairan scored one of the best World Cup goals of all-time in Saudi Arabia’s 1-0 win over Belgium in 1994. Not terribly dissimilar from Diego Maradona’s “Goal of the Century”, Al-Owairan picked the ball up in his own half and made a lung-busting run through Belgium’s defense to beat the helpless Belgian keeper. Al-Owairan was named the Asian Footballer of the Year in 1994 and scored 24 goals for Saudi Arabia in 75 appearances.
Mohamed Al-Deayea is the FIFA-recognized record holder for most international appearances by a goalkeeper. Al-Deayea made 175 appearances for the Green Falcons between 1993 and 2006 and was Saudi Arabia’s goalie at four World Cups. He won Best Goalie at the AFC Asian Cup in both 1996 and 2000.
Yousuf Al-Thunayyan was nicknamed the “Philosopher” for his excellent vision and refined style of play. Al-Thunayyan was a playmaking attacking midfielder who had an eye for goal himself. He scored 20 goals in 81 appearances and won two AFC Asian Cups with the national team.
Sami Al-Jaber is one of the few Saudi Arabian players to have a spell abroad. Saudi Arabia’s second-leading scorer of all time was loaned out to Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2000-01 but played for Al-Hilal for 18 years. Al-Jaber is one of his country’s best players and his 156 appearances have only been matched by Al-Deayea and Mohammed Al-Khilaiwi.
Saudi Arabia won their first AFC Asian Cup in 1984. As a result, they qualified for the 1988 AFC Asian Cup as champions. They started their title defense off quite well, with a 2-0 win over Syria. The Green Falcons kept another shutout in their next match, as they drew 0-0 with Kuwait. Saudi Arabia’s third of four group-stage matches ended in a 1-1 draw vs. Bahrain as Yousuf Jazea’a got a late equalizer for the Green Falcons. Needing a win vs. China to finish as group winners, Saudi Arabia did just that. Fahad Al-Bishi scored the game’s only goal.
In the semifinals, Saudi Arabia avoided Group A winners South Korea and faced Iran. Again, the Green Falcons managed to grind out a 1-0 win. That set up a match with South Korea in the final. The match ended scoreless in both regulation and extra time. The Green Falcons won the shootout 4-3 to win their second AFC Asian Cup title and second in a row. They conceded just one goal in six matches, which is their best defensive record at a major tournament.
Saudi Arabia responded well as Sami Al-Jaber and Anwar were on target and they defeated Morocco 2-1 for their first World Cup win. Their last group stage match was vs. Belgium, who were on top of the group at the time. Saudi Arabia scored an upset 1-0 win as Saeed Al-Owairan scored the game’s only goal in the fifth minute.
Advancing to the knockout stage for the first time as Group F’s second place team, Saudi Arabia faced Sweden in the round of 16. Sweden took a 2-0 lead early in the second half and Fahad Al-Ghesheyan managed to get a goal back but it was too little too late. Sweden won 3-1 and Saudi Arabia went out with a lot to be proud of.
It’s difficult, though, to find anything praiseworthy in Saudi Arabia’s 2002 World Cup appearance. They lost to Germany 8-0 in the opening match and it was a harbinger of things to come. The Green Falcons failed to score a single goal in three matches, posted a -12 goal difference and finished dead last out of 32 teams.
Saudi Arabia National Football Team History
Beginnings
In 1957, the Saudi Arabia national football team took part in their first international tournament, the Pan-Arab Games, in Lebanon. In their first official match, Saudi Arabia drew with Lebanon 1-1. The Green Falcons didn’t take part in a major tournament until the 1984 AFC Asian Cup.
The Saudi Arabia national football team shockingly won the 1984 Asian Cup in Singapore as Abdullah al-Deayea was named the tournament’s best goalkeeper. The Green Falcons defeated China 2-0 in the final with goals from Shaye Al-Nafisah and Majed Abdullah. Saudi Arabia also won the AFC Asian Cup in 1988 and 1996 and finished second at the 1992 FIFA Confederations Cup.
Saudi Arabia's First FIFA World Cup Appearance
A first Saudi Arabia national football team FIFA World Cup appearance came in 1994, where they beat Belgium and Morocco to advance to the round of 16. Saudi Arabia fell to Sweden in the round of 16 but exceeded expectations in their first shot at World Cup glory.
The Green Falcons also qualified for the World Cup in 1998, 2002, and 2006; however, they didn’t find much success, since they finished at the bottom of their group in each tournament. Saudi Arabia national football team returned to the World Cup in 2018 but were promptly embarrassed 5-0 by hosts Russia in the opening match.
Saudi Arabia national football team also lost to Uruguay 1-0 but got their first World Cup win since 1994, as they defeated Egypt 2-1 in the last minute of the group stage finale.
Saudi Arabia qualified for Qatar 2022 by winning the AFC Third Round, Group B.
Check out the latest FIFA World Cup news and betting analysis.
Qatar 2022
Saudi Arabia soccer betting vs. Argentina was not exactly popular in their opening match at Qatar 2022. However, the Green Falcons pulled off the shock upset of the tournament. As +1900 underdogs, Saudi Arabia pulled off an incredible second-half comeback to defeat Argentina 2-1.
Saleh Alshehri and Salem Aldawsari scored the Green Falcons’ goals. Although Saudi Arabia fell to both Poland and Mexico in their next two matches, they defeated the eventual champions.
Saudi Arabia Soccer Leagues & Clubs:
Saudi Pro League:
Foreigners wanting to delve into Saudi Arabian soccer betting may first look at the Saudi Pro League. This is the top league in Saudi Arabia and is expanding from 16 to 18 teams in the 2023-24 season. The league follows a double round-robin format with each team playing every other both home and away. In a normal season, three teams are relegated but only two will be relegated in 2022-23 due to expansion. The Saudi Pro League also gained a lot of attention when Al-Nassr made Cristiano Ronaldo the highest-paid player in football history.
Saudi Pro League Clubs 2022-2023
| Team |
|---|
| Abha |
| Al-Adalah |
| Al-Batin |
| Al-Ettifaq |
| Al-Fateh |
| Al-Fayha |
| Al-Hilal |
| Al-Ittihad |
| Al-Khaleej |
| Al-Nassr |
| Al-Raed |
| Al-Shabab |
| Al-Taawoun |
| Al-Tai |
| Al-Wehda |
| Damac |
Saudi First Division League:
Another Saudi Arabian soccer league is the Saudi First Division League or Saudi FDL. This is the second-tier league in the country and it currently features 18 teams. The league also follows a double round-robin format and three teams are usually promoted. However, four teams will go up to the top tier in 2022-23 due to Saudi Pro League expansion.
Saudi First Division League Clubs 2022-2023
| Team |
|---|
| Al-Ahli |
| Al-Ain |
| Al-Arabi |
| Al-Faisaly |
| Al-Hazem |
| Al-Jabalain |
| Al-Kholood |
| Al-Okhdood |
| Al-Orobah |
| Al-Qadsiah |
| Al-Qaisumah |
| Al-Riyadh |
| Al-Sahel |
| Al-Shoulla |
| Hajer |
| Jeddah |
| Najran |
| Ohod |
Saudi Arabia Cups & Tournaments
Saudi Arabian soccer teams compete in the King’s Cup, which is the official knockout tournament in Saudi Arabia. This tournament was initially contested by teams from several leagues. However, the last few editions have been limited to the 16 teams in the Saudi Pro League.
Saudi Arabia’s Super Cup follows a similar format to Spain’s. Initially, it was contested by the Saudi Pro League winner and the King’s Cup champions. Now, four teams participate, including the Saudi Pro League and King’s Cup runners-up. This tournament is held midseason and features single-match semifinals and a final.
Saudi Arabia Soccer Betting Information
Betting on Saudi Arabia Team
Bettors wanting to delve into Saudi Arabia soccer betting could start with the Saudi Pro League. With Cristiano Ronaldo now plying his trade in the league, coverage and interest in Saudi Arabian soccer has skyrocketed. His team, Al-Nassr, are the second-most successful club in Saudi Pro League history. They’ve won nine titles and only Al-Hilal have won more. Heading into the 2022-23 season, Al-Hilal had won five of the last six championships.
The Saudi league is a balanced league with a decent scoring profile. There were 2.65 goals per game scored in the 2021-22 season and totals betting was quite difficult. Three goals or more were scored 48 percent of the time and fewer than three goals were scored 52 percent of the time. Both teams also scored 50 percent of the time. Home teams had quite a big advantage in 2021-22 as they won 45 percent of their matches. Road sides won 27 percent of the time and draws occurred in 28 percent of matches.
Along with Cristiano Ronaldo, there have been a bunch of high-level players in the league in recent seasons. Former Manchester United striker Odion Ighalo led the league in goals, with 24, in 2021-22. Bafetimbi Gomis, Vincent Aboubakar, Ever Banega, Grzegorz Krychowiak and David Ospina have all played in the league in recent seasons.
Saudi Arabia National Team Betting Tips & Odds
Saudi Arabia seeks improvement in upcoming tournaments with a blend of experience and young talent, aiming to overcome inconsistent World Cup performances.
Saudi Arabia national team betting tips have rarely recommended taking them to advance far at World Cups. In their last five World Cup appearances, the Green Falcons have won just two matches. Even though they defeated Argentina at Qatar 2022, they have simply been too inconsistent on the world stage. Their only knockout stage appearance at the World Cup was in 1994, which was their first appearance at the tournament.
Plus, Saudi Arabia have also underperformed at recent AFC Asian Cups. They haven’t made it past the round of 16 since 2007 but easily qualified for the 2023 edition. However, they did finish in first place in AFC World Cup Qualifying Group B with an impressive performance. They managed to finish ahead of both Japan and Australia en route to automatic qualification. With a blend of experienced players and young talent, Saudi Arabia could improve on their recent performances at the 2023 AFC Asian Cup. With how much Saudi Arabia have invested in sporting projects over the last few years, look for continued improvement from their national team.
Conclusion
With the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo to Saudi Arabia, betting interest in the Saudi Pro League has skyrocketed. It’s quite an exciting league that is easy to follow and could be an option for bettors looking for something different.
Saudi Arabian fans will never forget their stunning win over Argentina, especially because they’ve been silverware-starved for quite a while. It’s worth monitoring the progress of the Saudi Arabia national team over the next few years as the country invests huge sums into footballing projects.
