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El Matador lands two stunners
Days ahead of Saudi Arabia’s expected clash with their Spanish counterparts at the 2026 World Cup, the Saudi sports street got a fresh boost after El Matador continued their fluctuating results in friendlies and settled for a 1-1 draw against Iraq on Thursday night.
It wasn’t Spain’s first slip-up against Arab opposition in the World Cup build-up, having previously been held to a goalless draw against Egypt, but two relatively disappointing results against the two Arab sides in a short space of time.
These results are particularly important for Saudi fans given Spain’s presence in the Green Group at the World Cup finals, where the two teams face an expected clash in the second round of the group stage that could play a decisive role in determining the qualities of the qualifiers for the next round.
Matador is far from his usual self
Spain have always entered any major tournament as one of the favorites to challenge for the title, thanks to the quality of their players and the value of their roster, as well as their renowned style based on possession and control of the game.
But what emerged in the two friendlies against Egypt and Iraq raised some questions about Spain’s readiness ahead of the World Cup, particularly in attack, as it struggled to convert possession into goals and decide matches.
Although Spain had a high percentage of possession in both matches, they seemed to be unable to penetrate the opposition’s defensive organization for most of the time, which may attract the attention of Saudi Arabia’s technical staff ahead of the upcoming clash.
An Egyptian lesson and an Iraqi message
The indicators started in the goalless draw against Egypt, when the Pharaohs managed to close the spaces in front of the Spaniards and impose an organized defensive rhythm that did not allow the opponent to reach their goal.
Then it was the turn of Iraq, who managed to force a 1-1 draw against the European team and even managed to grab a great goal, confirming that the Arab teams have the tools to trouble one of the strongest teams in the world when the tactical plan is executed correctly.
For Saudi Arabia, the two matches could provide an important model that can be used both defensively and to exploit the spaces that Spain may leave in its attack.
A good omen for the green?
Naturally, these results will give a dose of optimism to Saudi fans looking for a repeat of the Argentina scenario at the 2022 World Cup, where Al-Akhdar went into the game against the world champions with pessimistic expectations before pulling off one of the biggest upsets in the tournament’s history.
Also, seeing Spain fail to win against Egypt and Iraq could boost the confidence of Saudi Arabia’s players ahead of the head-to-head clash and confirm that big technical differences on paper don’t always decide matches inside the green rectangle.
Al Akhdar players can find in these results an extra boost to believe in their ability to achieve a positive result against one of the giants of world football.
Between hope and reality
What happened against Egypt and Iraq does not mean that Spain have become an easy team, but at the same time it confirms that “Matador” is not an invincible team and that facing them requires more courage and confidence than the fear of names.
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The most important message for the Saudi Arabian team may be that there is a path to surprise, but it requires tactical discipline, full focus and making the most of opportunities.
As the Spaniards continue to search for answers ahead of the start of the World Cup, Al-Akhdar is watching the scene with interest, hoping that these friendly slip-ups will become the prelude to another surprise that will write another chapter in Saudi football history on the world stage.
