“They have become businessmen”. A fiery attack describes the plight of the Saudi players.

Saudi Arabia’s stars have been heavily criticized following their heavy 4-0 defeat to Spain in the second round of the 2026 World Cup group stage, a match that has sparked outrage on Saudi Arabia’s sports street.

While much of the criticism was aimed at Greek coach Georgios Donis due to his technical choices and the method of play he relied on, journalist Faisal Al-Jaffen placed the majority of the blame for what happened on the pitch on the players.

Al-Jafen said during his speech on Al-Arabiya FM’s “Malaeb” program. “The fault lies not only with the players, but with the fans, club officials and some of the media who have created a huge aura around these players and turned them into businessmen rather than footballers.”

He added: “The Saudi team faced reality when they faced a team that played real football like Spain, so we witnessed a state of fear on the pitch and the players lost the ability to pass, run and make the right decisions.”

The Saudi journalist confirmed that in past years some players have received large perks that have kept them away from the real pressures of competition, noting that fans, the media and some administrators have contributed to an inflated image of the level of some current players.

Read also… After the shock of Spain… what happened between Donis and the players of the Saudi Arabian national team?

He continued. “These players are getting huge salaries and special treatment and some have started treating them as stars who can’t be criticized or approached and that’s something that doesn’t help development.”

Al-Yaffen believed the loss to Spain was not surprising given the technical differences between the two teams, but he stressed that the method of defeat was a concern, especially as much of the game was a complete inability to get back to the opposition.

He explained that the Saudi Arabian team was far from its usual level, both technically and mentally, which was reflected in the team’s collective play and the players’ ability to cope with the flow of the game.

He concluded by stressing that the next phase requires a comprehensive review of the team’s technical reality, stressing that troubleshooting must begin with an awareness of the real issues, instead of looking for justifications or assigning responsibility to only one party.