Denis surprises the fans. Saudi Arabia is not a candidate for qualification.

The coach of the Saudi Arabian national team, the Greek Georgios Donis, made a shocking statement to the fans of Al-Akhdar on the night of the draw (1-1) with Uruguay in the first round of the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

“The Saudi Arabian team is not a candidate to qualify for the next round because of the presence of Spain and Uruguay,” Donis said.

“I was surprised by Spain’s draw with Cape Verde, but La Roja and Uruguay remain favorites to qualify for the next round of our group, and despite that, we will look to win the next two matches.”

Read also… Uruguay’s coach attacked a journalist after Saudi Arabia’s draw… What happened?

Donis said about the injury of Muhammad Al Owais. “He is not suffering from anything. He played a great match and showed great personality and I am very grateful to him.”

Dennis believes that the Saudi Arabian team performed well in the second half to answer the criticism that they have been subjected to for a drop in attacking form.

He concluded. “We will work to correct the mistakes, we are doing well in all matters and we need time to develop.”