Why is Saudi Arabia (KSA) being watched now? Because Saudi Arabia has set a 26-player World Cup squad before Sunday’s match against Spain at the Atlanta Stadium in Georgia, with Georgios Donis in charge and Salem Al-Dawsari wearing the captain’s armband. The Green Falcons still need points to push toward the knockout stages for the first time since 1994.
Saudi Arabia opened the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a 1-1 draw against Uruguay last week, a match in which Saudi Arabia led for 40 minutes before Rafael Araujo equalized. The squad’s size is fixed, the manager is settled, and the immediate test is Spain in Group H.
Georgios Donis and The Green Falcons
Georgios Donis has led Saudi Arabia since April 23, 2026, after replacing Herve Renard. He had never managed a country before taking the job, having begun his managerial career in 2002 in Greece and later working in Greece, Cyprus, Israel and Saudi Arabia.
His record now reaches beyond national-team work. Donis won the Greek Cup with AEL, the Cypriot League and Cypriot Cup with APOEL, and the King of Cup Champions, Saudi Super Cup and Saudi Crown Prince Cup with Al Hilal.
Salem Al-Dawsari’s role
Salem Al-Dawsari has captained Saudi Arabia since 2023 and brings 112 appearances and 27 goals into the tournament. He has been one of the clearest reference points in a squad that is no longer being assembled around a future cycle but around the present one.
That matters in practical terms for Saudi Arabia’s match plan against Spain. A captain with 112 appearances gives Donis a player who has already lived through the pressure of tournament football, while the 26-player limit leaves little room for late changes once the team sheet is set.
Saudi Arabia in Group H
The immediate context is simple: Saudi Arabia is in Group H of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and Spain is the next obstacle before Cabo Verde on June 26 at the Houston Stadium in Texas at 8:00 p.m. EST. Saudi Arabia has one more group-stage game after Spain, which means the Uruguay draw left the margin for error small.
Saudi Arabia has not advanced to the knockout stages since 1994 in the United States, so the match in Georgia carries more weight than a standard group fixture. The roster is already set; what Donis and Al-Dawsari do against Spain will determine whether Saudi Arabia enters the Cabo Verde match with control or with work still to recover.
