Abdulelah al Amri became the first defender to score for Saudi Arabia at a World Cup, nodding in from a corner to give his side the lead against Uruguay in Miami on Monday. His strike was also the nation's first-ever goal from a corner in the competition, and the first time Saudi Arabia had opened the scoring in a World Cup match since a 1-0 win over Belgium in 1994.
Uruguay fought back to earn a 1-1 draw through Maxi Araujo, but the result has reignited a question that has followed Saudi football since the Saudi Pro League began flooding the game with money to attract global superstars: is the investment finally helping the national team?
“Saudi Arabia's 1-1 draw with Uruguay raises questions about whether Pro League billions are boosting the national team.”
Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Neymar and Sadio Mane are among a list of world-class talents who have chosen to play in the Saudi Pro League. Benzema said after joining Al-Ittihad in 2023: "We have to teach the young players here what it takes so they can move to other clubs. It's a good league and there are many good players." Ronaldo added after his move: "The Saudi league is better than MLS." He recently scored his 100th goal in the Saudi Pro League.
Saudi Arabia's national team has long struggled on the world stage, suffering a humiliating 8-0 defeat against Germany at the 2002 World Cup. But performances have steadily improved since the Pro League started attracting big names. In 2018, they beat an Egypt side containing Mohamed Salah 2-1, thanks to a late winner from Salem al Dawsari. Four years later in Qatar, they sent shockwaves around the world by defeating Argentina in their opening game, with Al Dawsari again scoring the winning goal.
On Monday, they launched their seventh World Cup appearance with a hard-fought draw. With the exception of defender Saud Abdulhamid, who plays in France with Lens, the starting XI against Uruguay all play their club football in Saudi Arabia. Al Dawsari, 34, is playing in his third World Cup, while young playmaker Musab al Juwayr, 22, provided three assists in qualifying and is tipped to be a mainstay of the side.
Elsewhere on Monday, Iran twice came from behind to earn a 2-2 draw against New Zealand, while Cape Verde shocked Spain by holding the European champions to a 0-0 draw. But the focus remains on Saudi Arabia, a nation selected to host the 2034 World Cup. Are the days of 8-0 thumpings a thing of the past?