Italian coach Luigi Di Biagio, the technical director of the Saudi national under-23 team, unveiled the official squad list for the Olympic Green Falcons that will compete in the 2026 AFC U-23 Championship. This edition is of particular importance as it will be held on Saudi soil, with the cities of Riyadh and Jeddah hosting the matches next January, which presents the Green Falcons with a great challenge and high expectations from the fans.
Selected list details
The Italian coach’s choices included (23) players representing the elite of young talents in the Saudi League, and the names came as follows: Hamed Yousef, Turki Baljosh, Muhannad Al-Yahya, Mohammed Abdulrahman, Awad Dahal, Suleiman Hazazi, Mohammed Al-Dossari, Khaled Al-Asiri, Abdulrahman Al-Obaid, Mohammed Barnawi, Salem Al-Najdi, Yassin Al-Zubaidi, Abdulmalik Al-Jaber, Musab Al-Juwair, Fares Al-Ghamdi, Faisal Al-Subiani, Rakan Al-Ghamdi, Hammam Al-Hamami, Abdulaziz Al-Aliwa, Abdulrahman Sufyani, Majed Abdullah, Thamer Al-Khaibri, and Abdullah Radif.
The national team is scheduled to begin its training on Thursday evening, signaling the start of the intensive training camp in Jeddah, in preparation for the fiery matches of the first group.
Group A challenges and title ambition
The draw placed the Saudi national team in Group A, described as a strong and balanced group, where they will face Vietnam, Jordan, and Kyrgyzstan. All eyes are on this group not only because of the strength of the opponents, but also because the Saudi team enters the tournament carrying a heavy legacy as one of the continent's champions in this age category, having previously won the title in the 2022 edition. This raises expectations for a strong challenge for the trophy, especially with the advantage of playing on home soil.
Club cooperation and support for the national movement
In a related context, the national teams department expressed its deep gratitude to Saudi clubs for their fruitful cooperation in allowing their players to join the national team, despite the tournament being held outside of official FIFA international match days. This step demonstrates the integration between clubs and national teams in serving Saudi football, as clubs recognize the importance of this tournament, which the Kingdom is hosting for the first time since its inception, and its role in developing talents that will form the backbone of the national team in the near future. This aligns with the Kingdom's sports strategy and Vision 2030, which aims to host major sporting events and achieve continental success.
