Saudi Arabia National Team World Cup Betting
Saudi Arabia has only won three games at the World Cup in its previous five appearances. The Green Falcons have only been able to make it out of the Group Stage one time, and that was in their World Cup debut back in 1994. They are significant underdogs to make it out of Group C, and they will be longshots in all three of their Group Stage matches.
Manager: Hervé Renard
Nicknames: The Green Falcons, Arabian Falcons
Confederation: AFC (Asia)
FIFA Ranking: 49 (March 2022)
Saudi Arabia World Cup Betting Odds
To Win Group C: +2300
To Win 2022 World Cup: +75000
*Odds as of May 4, 2022
Saudi Arabia Group Stage Schedule
Argentina vs. Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, November 22, 2022, 5 a.m. ET, at Lusail Iconic Stadium in Lusail (FS1)
Poland vs. Saudi Arabia, Saturday, November 26, 2022, 8 a.m. ET, at Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan (FS1)
Saudi Arabia vs. Mexico, Wednesday, November 30, 2022, 2 p.m. ET, at Lusail Iconic Stadium in Lusail (FS1)
History at the World Cup
Appearances: 6 (first in 1994)
Best Result: Round of 16 (1994)
We didn’t see Saudi Arabia qualify for the World Cup until 1994. The country did not take part in qualifying until the late 1970s, but they found surprising success in the United States. After losing their first match against the Netherlands 2-1 due to a Dutch goal in the 86th minute, the Green Falcons bested Morocco 2-1 for their first World Cup victory. They proceeded to stun Belgium 1-0 thanks to an early goal from Saeed Al-Owairan, making it to the knockout rounds.
Saudi Arabia was matched against Sweden in the Round of 16. They were sizeable underdogs by the soccer betting odds, but they couldn’t overcome them this time around. The Swedes secured a 3-1 win and ended up finishing in third place.
This country ended up qualifying for the next three World Cups, but they posted a cumulative record of 0-2-7 in those games and were by far the worst team at the 2002 World Cup. Germany dismantled Saudi Arabia 8-0 in the first match as Miroslav Klose notched a hat trick in one of the biggest blowouts in World Cup history.
Saudi Arabia was unable to make the World Cup again until 2018. They had the unenviable task of taking on hosts Russia in their first match, and they were crushed 5-0 in front of a roaring crowd in Moscow. They were eliminated after falling to Uruguay in their next game, but they knocked off Egypt in their final match to get their second World Cup win. Salem Al-Dawsari was the hero with a goal in the fifth minute of extra time.
What to Watch
Herve Renard has lots of experience coaching teams in Africa and Asia. He has previously coached Zambia, Angola, and the Ivory Coast, and he was on the sidelines for Morocco at the last World Cup. Renard is the only coach to lead two different countries to victories in the Africa Cup of Nations.
Every player on the national team plays professional football in Saudi Arabia. That hurts the squad in terms of overall competitiveness, but it’s a big boost when it comes to chemistry. Four clubs have the overwhelming majority of the players we will see on the roster in Qatar: Al-Shabab, Al-Nassr, Al-Hilal, and Al-Ittihad.
Salem Al-Dawsari is the top player on the team. He has 17 goals in 64 matches with the national team, and he wears the No. 10 for the Green Falcons. His play helped Al-Hilal qualify for the 2019 FIFA Club World Cup, and he scored his club’s lone goal in their loss to Flamengo in the semifinals.
Fahad Al-Muwallad has notched 17 goals in 70 matches, and he is the fastest player on the roster. Al-Muwallad doesn’t have a lot of size at just 5’6, but he has a lot of speed that can help Saudi Arabia on the counter.
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