Saudi domestic football has attracted plenty of interest with an influx of elite players to the nation's top-flight. Amongst these stars, homegrown players have found opportunities harder to come by in the Pro League, but will still be hoping to fire Saudi Arabia to more World Cup success.While some domestic players have flourished since the investment into the Pro League, the star performers are almost all big-name foreign players.“At this stage there is a whole bout of pessimism surrounding the team, and one of the reasons is that Saudi players aren’t actually getting that much game time,” Saudi football journalist Mo Fayad told our Make Football Great Again podcast.That pessimism has not been helped by a chaotic build-up to the tournament, which saw legendary manager Herve Renard sacked in his second spell as Saudi manager just 59 days before the beginning of the tournament. His replacement is former Blackburn and Sheffield United midfielder Georgios Donis.‌Get the latest World Cup news straight to your inbox by signing up to our Make Football Great Again newsletter now!Donis is well versed in Saudi football, having managed six club sides in the country, before taking on this role with the national team. However, his appointment was not welcomed by all.“I think there should have been a local manager. There needs to be a belief from the federations in these managers,” Mo said.At the last World Cup, Saudi Arabia recorded a famous win against Argentina in their opening match under former boss Herve Renard, before their opponents went on to win the tournament. Matchwinner that day Salem Al-Dawsari will captain the team at this tournament.‌Wing-back Saud Abdulhamid is the only member of the squad who does not play his club football in the Saudi Pro League, having starred for Ligue 1 side Lens this season, as they finished second behind PSG. He provided two goals and four assists in just 14 starts for the French side, and his energy and delivery will be vital in attack for the Arabian Falcons.While Abdulhamid will provide good crosses into the box, Saudi fans are concerned about how they will finish these opportunities.“It’s not going to be a team that scores many goals, and that strikes fear into Saudi fans,” Mo said.‌Faris Al-Buraikan will lead the line, having scored five goals in 16 starts for Al-Ahli this season. In his breakout season at Al-Fateh in 21/22, he was managed by Georgios Donis.Donis’ only game in charge of Saudi Arabia at the time of writing was a 2-1 defeat to Ecuador. For the tournament, it is likely he may choose to trust players he enjoys a prior relationship with.Al-Ettifaq winger Khalid Al-Ghannam was the top scoring Saudi player in the Pro League last season, with 13 goals.“He’s put in the work and he’s really been fantastic. Saudi fans say he has to start for us,” Mo said about Al-Ghannam.‌Musab Al-Juwayr has also performed well for Al-Qadsiah this season, after a £10m move from Al-Hilal. He was key as the Knights of the East finished fourth in the Pro League under Brendan Rodgers.Expectations are low for Saudi Arabia going into this tournament, but for many teams that can allow them to play without pressure.They have been drawn in Group H alongside former winners Spain and Uruguay, as well as debutants Cape Verde.‌“The expectation is three points against Cape Verde and by luck get through to the next round from the third placed position.“Some people will ask... Saudi Arabia beat Argentina in 2022, can they beat Spain in 2026? Saudi fans will be the first to tell you that will not happen,” Mo added.Content cannot be displayed without consent