Al-Faraj had recently returned to the Saudi national team's plans after an absence of nearly three years, as coach Herve Renard included him in an expanded list of 50 players, in preparation for the next stage, which includes important friendly matches.
The coaching staff, led by Renard, decided to select 25 players for the main squad that will compete in the World Cup, while another 25 players will undergo a special preparation program under the supervision of coach Luigi Di Biagio, before potentially joining the main camp.
Al-Faraj is currently 36 years old, and he has previously represented the Saudi national team in the 2018 and 2022 editions, which puts him on the verge of a historic third participation, despite his absence from the “Green” list since October 2023.
Majed Abdullah holds the record as the oldest Saudi player to participate in the World Cup, when he played in the 1994 World Cup at the age of 35, before concluding his illustrious international career.
If Al-Faraj participates in the next edition, he will be 37 years old, becoming the oldest player in the history of Saudi Arabia’s participation in the World Cup, surpassing prominent names such as Youssef Al-Thunayan, who participated in the 1998 World Cup at the age of 34.
Salem Al-Dawsari is also expected to participate in the next edition at the age of 34, in what may be his last participation, especially after a distinguished career with Al-Hilal and the national team, which he crowned with his historic goal against Argentina during the 2022 World Cup.
Despite Al-Faraj's approach to a historic achievement in terms of age, this will not give him the top spot for the most Saudi players participating in the World Cup, as this record is still held by Sami Al-Jaber, who participated in four editions of the global tournament.
