Three takeaways as Saudi Arabia begins 2026 World Cup qualifying with draw and win

The third round of Asian qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup began for Saudi Arabia last week and after a pair of matches against Indonesia and then China this Tuesday, the Green Falcons are sitting in second place on four points in Group C, behind leaders Japan.

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Things did not begin well for Roberto Mancini’s side as Indonesia, which has not played in a World Cup since 1938 and finished bottom of its qualification group for the past three tournaments, claimed a creditable 1-1 draw at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah last week. A goal from Belgium-born Sandy Walsh gave Indonesia the lead before Al Shabab midfielder Musab Al-Juwayr earned a share of the spoils for Saudi Arabia.

There was better news on Tuesday, however, as the Green Falcons beat China 2-1 away in Dalian – a surprise brace from Al Ittihad defender Hassan Kadesh handing the visitors all three points, despite ending the game with 10 men after Mohammed Kanno’s early red card for violent conduct.

With rival Japan winning both of its opening matches, it sets up a fascinating clash between the two sides atop Group C next time out in Jeddah on October 10. Here, Al Arabiya English highlights three key takeaways from Saudi Arabia’s opening fixtures as it aims for a place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in USA, Canada and Mexico.

Kadesh the unlikely hero

Saudi Arabia has no shortage of talented players at its disposal but the match-winning contribution against China came from an unlikely source: Hassan Kadesh. The defender has had a topsy-turvy international career; making his Green Falcons debut in a World Cup qualifier in 2016, he played a handful of matches before being cast into the international wilderness.

In 2023, six years after his last appearance, Kadesh was welcomed back by Mancini and has been a regular fixture in the Italian’s squads since. A reliable presence when called upon, Kadesh started games against Tajikistan and Pakistan earlier this year but was an unused substitute for the draw with Indonesia.

Recalled to the starting XI against China, Kadesh delivered his best ever performance for the Green Falcons. The defender stayed solid at the back as Saudi Arabia’s 10 men repelled the attacking threat of China, but it was at the other end that his impact was most keenly felt. In the 39th minute, Kadesh rose to head home Nasser Al-Dawsari’s outswinging left-footed corner, the Al Ittihad defender kissing the ground in celebration of his first ever goal for Saudi Arabia. He didn’t have to wait long for his second.

As the clock ticked into the 90th minute, Saudi Arabia was successfully hanging on for what would have represented an impressive point, given the team played for more than 70 minutes with a man less than China. Kadesh, however, had other ideas. Just like his first goal, the No. 14 evaded his marker to power home another header from another corner, this time from Musab Al-Juwayr’s delivery.

Kadesh’s double – a remarkable intervention given he went almost 10 years between his first Saudi Pro League goal for Al Ettifaq and his second, for Al-Taawoun – means that Mancini’s side is firmly back on track and can go into October’s crunch match against Japan with significantly more confidence.

Striking a balance

It is an issue that has plagued the Green Falcons for years and continues today: no coach of Saudi Arabia in recent memory has been able to get any of its strikers firing consistently. The Kingdom’s national team has regularly been qualifying for the Asian Cup and FIFA World Cup over the past decade, yet no player in the current era is on the list of Top 10 all-time leading Saudi goal scorers.

Mancini’s team is longing for a striker like Majed Abdullah, who netted 72 international goals between 1978 and 1994, or Sami Al-Jaber – whose 46 across 14 years with the national team puts him second on the Saudi scoring charts. The lack of a reliable finisher was particularly apparent against Indonesia, with Mancini’s side having 66 percent possession, and 18 shots to their opponent’s eight – but scoring just once.

Al Ahli forward Firas Al-Buraikan remains perhaps the greatest hope of the current crop but after initially bursting on to the international scene five years ago, his current figures leave a little to be desired. Al-Buraikan, the highest Saudi scorer in the Pro League last season, did net in consecutive games against Tajikistan and Pakistan in the previous round of FIFA World Cup qualifiers, but he was overlooked for the match against Indonesia in favor of Abdullah Ratif.

With 21-year-old Ratif failing to make an impact against Indonesia, Al-Buraikan was thrust back into the frontline against China. He started well, but team-mate Kanno’s red card changed the dynamic of the match - meaning the Al Ahli striker was left feeding on scraps. He didn’t score but ultimately Saudi Arabia won the match, meaning Mancini may persevere with him against Japan.

Al Nassr striker Mohammed Maran also played a bit-part in these qualifiers despite only playing two minutes for his club so far this season, though Saleh Al-Shehri, who has featured regularly since Mancini took over as Green Falcons coach, was surprisingly an unused substitute in both games. A left-field alternative for the match with Japan could be uncapped Syria-born Murad Khadhari, who is currently the leading Saudi scorer in the Pro League with two goals in his first two games for Al Wehda.

Salem still vital

He may be 33 years old but Salem Al-Dawsari is still the beating heart of this Saudi team. For club side Al Hilal, he is captain but can share the creative burden with talented team-mates like Ruben Neves, Malcolm and Sergej Mlinkovic-Savic. For the Green Falcons, however, Al-Dawsari - the 2022 AFC Asian Player of the Year – shoulders far more responsibility as his team’s attacking fulcrum.

One wonders how impressive Saudi Arabia could be if it was to tackle its striking conundrum. Al Hilal regularly reaps the rewards of Al-Dawsari’s vision, with Aleksandar Mitrovic often the grateful recipient. Against Indonesia and China, Al-Dawsari was bright on the ball as usual, but he needs a more prolific goal scorer to feed.

Mancini clearly recognizes the Al Hilal playmaker’s value both on the pitch and in the dressing-room. Al-Dawsari has won 20 major honors with his club, as well as a host of individual accolades, and his younger team-mates need to tap into his winning mentality. Al-Dawsari is among just a handful of veteran players still selected by Mancini, who has tried to bring a more youthful complexion to his recent squads.

For the matches against Indonesia and China, Al-Dawsari was the second-oldest player in the squad – behind 34-year-old Al Hilal team-mate Ali Al-Bulayhi – but his nearly 90 caps makes him Saudi Arabia’s most experienced international player. His leadership will be more vital than ever against Japan next time out, with fellow stalwart Mohammed Kanno out of the match through suspension.

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