Neighboring the host country, Qatar, Saudi Arabia is approaching this World Cup on familiar ground and can count on the experience of its French coach Hervé Renard.
Sportingly, even if she did well in qualifying, the final stages seem complicated to get, given her group.
The story
Main supplier of the selection, the Saudi club Al-Hilal won the last Asian Champions League.
Form
Among the Petits Poucets of this World Cup, Saudi Arabia can nevertheless harbor ambition, given its successful qualifying campaign, where it lost only once.
First in her group, ahead of Japan and Australia, she has continued to progress since the arrival of Hervé Renard in 2019. The French coach, who had already led Morocco to the 2018 World Cup, relies almost exclusively on players from the local league and can count on a solid midfielder.
Between October and November, he had six friendlies to polish his starting XI.
The list of 26 selected players
There was a doubt about the presence of the captain of this selection led by Hervé Renard.
Salman Al-Faraj, injured in the shoulder against Iceland in the last match in selection, will hold his place well at the World Cup.
Particularity of the list: no player evolves in Europe.
The Al-Hilal club, winner of the last Asian Champions League, places 12 players in this list.
Goalkeepers:
Mohamed Al-Owais (Al-Hilal), Nawaf Al-Aqidi (Al-Nassr), Mohamed Al-Yami (Al-Ahly)
Defenders:
Yasser Al-Shahrani (Al-Hilal), Ali Al-Bulaihi (Al-Hilal), Abdulelah Al-Amri (Al-Nassr), Abdullah Madu (Al-Nassr), Hassan Tambakti (Al-Shabab), Sultan Al -Ghanam (Al-Nassr), Mohammed Al-Breik (Al-Hilal), Saud Abdulhamid (Al-Hilal)
Midfielders:
Salman Al-Faraj (Al-Hilal), Riyadh Sharahili (Abha), Ali Al-Hassan (Al-Nassr), Mohamed Kanno (Al-Hilal), Abdulelah Al-Malki (Al-Hilal), Sami Al-Najei (Al-Nassr), Abdullah Otayf (Al-Hilal), Nasser Al-Dawsari (Al-Hilal), Abdulrahman Al-Aboud (Ittihad), Salem Al-Dawsari (Al-Hilal), Hattan Bahebri (Al-Shabab)
Attackers:
Fahad Al-Muwallad (Al-Shabab), Haitham Asiri (Al-Ahly), Saleh Al-Shehri (Al-Hilal), Firas Al-Buraikan (Al-Fateh)
The probable composition
Saudi Arabia.
Qatar
Saudi Arabia very rarely departs from its 4-3-3, which allows its pair of Al-Hilal midfielders, Mohamed Kanno and Salman Al-Faraj, to fully express themselves.
At the top, it is the young striker of Al-Fateh Firas Al-Buraikan who should support Salem Al-Dawsari and Hattan Bahebri.
Player to watch: Salman Al-Dawsari
Salem Al-Dawsari (bottom left), June 14, 2018, with his Saudi Arabian national team teammates.
PA Images / Icon Sports
His last-minute goal allowed Saudi Arabia to leave the 2018 World Cup with a victory, against Egypt (2-1).
In Qatar, Salam Al-Dawsari should once again be one of his country's main attacking assets.
The versatile left winger from Al-Hilal is used to being decisive at club level (9 goals and 5 assists last year).
Unlike most of his team-mates, he has experience of European football, having spent six months at Villarreal in 2018.
Saudi Arabia match schedule