AFC Asian Cup
One of the continent’s most successful nations, the Green Falcons made an immediate impact on their tournament debut at Singapore 1984, lifting the trophy before successfully defending their crown four years later in Qatar.
Factfile
FIFA Ranking: 55
Previous appearances: 11
First appearance: 1984
Best finish: Champions (1984, 9188, 1996)
2023 result: Round of 16
How they qualified: Hosts
Group A fixtures - Jan 7 v Palestine; Jan 12 v Oman; Jan 17 v Kuwait
Fun fact: Saudi Arabia reached the final in each of their first five appearances (1984, 1988, 1992, 1996 and 2000), winning three titles.
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Saudi Arabia added a third title at UAE 1996 and also finished runners-up in 1992, 2000 and 2007, underlining their pedigree in a competition where they reached the final in each of their first five appearances.
However, continental glory has proved elusive in recent editions, with Saudi Arabia failing to progress beyond the Round of 16 at both UAE 2019 and Qatar 2023.
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At Qatar 2023, the Green Falcons topped Group F ahead of Thailand, Oman and Kyrgyz Republic, only for their campaign to end in heartbreaking fashion against Korea Republic, who struck a late equaliser before prevailing 4-2 on penalties following a 1-1 draw.
Saudi Arabia have since continued to test themselves on the international stage, including an appearance at the FIFA World Cup 2026, with experienced campaigners Salem Al Dawsari, Mohamed Kanno and Saud Abdulhamid providing a strong backbone to the squad.
Al Dawsari, the 2025 AFC Player of the Year, remains a key attacking threat, while Firas Al Brikan offers a goalscoring presence up front. Emerging talents such as Musab Al Juwayr add further depth to a side eager to reclaim continental glory.
Drawn in Group A, the Green Falcons will open their campaign against Palestine in Riyadh on January 7 before facing Oman five days later. They conclude their group stage campaign against Kuwait in Jeddah on January 17.
