Will World Cup failure usher in moment of reckoning for Saudi football?

RIYADH: As the clock ticked down on Saudi Arabia’s 0-0 draw with Cabo Verde, and on their 2026 World Cup campaign, the online backlash was in full swing. A toothless display against the first-time participants meant the national team would be packing and heading home at the end of the tournament’s group stage for the third time in a row, following similar exits in 2018 in Russia and 2022 in Qatar. This summer marked the Kingdom’s seventh World Cup appearance. Apart from its first, in 1994, also in the US, Saudi Arabia has failed to advance to the knockout stage every time.

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