Sports presenter, Dalya Al-Harbi, sparked widespread controversy in the Saudi sports scene after she launched a scathing attack on the technical and administrative system of the Saudi national team, directing harsh criticism at the large gap that now separates the tremendous development in the local league from the fluctuating level that the "Green" team shows in international forums.
gap between the league and the national team
Al-Harbi attributed this decline to the total and continuous reliance on specific names, and the almost complete confinement of the international list to players from the "Big Four" clubs (Al-Hilal, Al-Nasr, Al-Ittihad, and Al-Ahli), with a complete and unjustified disregard for the outstanding talents who are performing at remarkable levels in the rest of the Roshan Professional League clubs.
Al-Harbi's remarks come at a time when Saudi football is undergoing unprecedented historical transformations, supported by the Kingdom's Vision 2030. The league has attracted international stars, and its market value has soared, making it a focus of global attention. However, the paradox lies in the fact that this rapid development of clubs has not been directly reflected in the national team's recent performance, raising legitimate questions about how to leverage this sporting momentum for the benefit of the "Green Falcons.".
The national team has become an "open book"
Al-Harbi described the national team's current situation as suffering from a structural flaw throughout the entire system, from the federation's strategies to the coach's technical decisions. She pointed to a crucial technical issue: the reliance on individual players and the repetition of the same names has made the team's tactics completely predictable for opponents, who now know how to easily neutralize the team's attacking threat due to the lack of innovative solutions and player diversity.
A logical, female analysis of the Saudi national football team's situation.
What do you think? #SaudiNationalTeam pic.twitter.com/J2Yhn5L9rL— Saudi Trend (@AlTrendAlsaudi) December 19, 2025
The dilemma of the substitute player and the neglect of mid-table clubs
Al-Harbi expressed her astonishment at the national team's limited player selection, questioning why talented players in approximately fourteen other clubs were being overlooked. She emphasized that mid-table clubs like Al-Taawoun, Al-Fateh, and Al-Ettifaq have repeatedly demonstrated their high level of skill and ability to challenge established clubs on the field, thus warranting giving their players the opportunity to represent the nation instead of clinging to specific names simply because of their affiliation with popular clubs.
Al-Harbi strongly criticized the technical paradox of calling up players to be key pillars of the national team when they are essentially relegated to the bench at their clubs and don't get consistent playing time due to the presence of foreign professionals. She argued that this approach does not serve the best interests of Saudi football, as it deprives these players of match sharpness and the intensity of high-level competition.
A call for objectivity and broadening the base of choice
The spokesperson stressed the need to be objective when talking about the national team's interests, citing herself as an Al-Hilal fan who refuses to include players from her team or from rivals if they do not provide the required technical contribution. She mentioned by name players such as Abdullah Al-Hamdan and Abdullah Al-Khaibri as examples of players who are called up despite their fluctuating levels or limited participation.
Dalya Al-Harbi concluded her remarks by calling on those in charge of the national team to expand the circle of scouts to search for stars in all clubs and regions, to ensure that the levels presented are worthy of the name of the Kingdom and bring back to mind the global echo that was achieved after the historic victory over Argentina in the 2022 World Cup, stressing that the Saudi public aspires to see a national team that rises to the level of the huge qualitative leap that the sports sector is currently witnessing.
