The Anthem
Aash Al-Maleek (Long Live the King)
▶ Listen on YouTube ↗“Hasten to glory and supremacy!…”
A brisk, martial anthem; lyrics were added in 1984.
The Legends
Names that echo
Majed Abdullah
Forward · 1970s–90s
'The Arabian Pelé'; one of Asia's greatest-ever strikers.
Saeed Al-Owairan
Forward · 1990s
Scorer of a legendary solo goal at the 1994 World Cup.
Sami Al-Jaber
Forward · 1990s–2000s
Played at four World Cups and remains a Saudi icon.
Fun Facts
Worth knowing
- 01
At the 1994 World Cup, Saeed Al-Owairan ran almost the length of the pitch to score against Belgium — a goal often compared to Maradona's.
- 02
Saudi Arabia's 2-1 win over Argentina in 2022 is one of the biggest shocks in World Cup history.
- 03
The country will host the World Cup itself in 2034.
At the World Cup
The story so far
A regular Asian qualifier whose dream debut in 1994 reached the knockouts. In 2022 it authored one of the great World Cup upsets, beating the eventual champions Argentina.
Beating the champions-to-be
Saudi Arabia stunned Lionel Messi's Argentina 2-1 in the opening round — the eventual winners' only defeat.
Al-Owairan's wonder goal
A mazy, end-to-end solo run against Belgium sent Saudi Arabia into the last 16 on debut.
Group Stage