Saudi Arabia bets on "Argentina's legacy"

The Saudi national football team carries the weight of the famous victory over Argentina four years ago, as it faces Uruguay in its first match in the 2026 World Cup on Monday; however, Abdullah Al-Khaibari, a player for the "Green Falcons," confirmed that "everyone feels the responsibility" to achieve a positive result.

In its seventh participation, the "Green" hopes to advance past the group stage for the second time, having done so 32 years ago in the United States, which is also hosting the finals along with Canada and Mexico.

Despite the limited preparation time with Greek coach Georgios Donis, who was appointed on April 23, replacing Frenchman Hervé Renard, Al-Khaibari clarified that the new coach "was able to integrate with the group quickly."

The "Green Falcons" player said in an interview with Agence France-Presse before a training session at the Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas: "Donis is a follower and has worked for a long time in the Saudi league and knows the Saudi player, and this may have shortened the time a bit."

The 29-year-old continued: "(Donis) knows the roles and functions of each player. All the players are ready and present, and we have managed to adapt to the situation."

Al-Khaibari was not among those called up for the 2022 World Cup under Renard, when Saudi Arabia achieved a stunning surprise in its first match by defeating Argentina (2-1), which later won the title.

Despite the opening win, the "Green" was eliminated from the group stage after losing to Mexico (1-2) and Poland (0-2).

Al-Khaibari returned to the international scene in March to play a series of friendly matches with Renard himself, before later becoming a key player in midfield.

Al-Khaibari experienced the transitional period of the Saudi league after a large number of global stars were brought in, most notably his teammate at Al-Nassr, Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo, at the beginning of 2023.

Although the new contracting policy in Saudi Arabia has resulted in significant technical and media success, it has been accompanied by a decline in the national team's performance, which exited in the Round of 16 in the Asian Cup, as well as having to go through the fourth round of the Asian World Cup qualifiers to qualify after finishing third in the group in the third round.

This, along with exiting the semi-finals of the Arab Cup 2025 at the hands of Jordan, in a tournament in which Al-Khaibari himself participated in four matches.