Saudi National Football Team’s 1-1 Draw Sparks Criticism

Following the Saudi national football team’s 1-1 draw against Indonesia in the first round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, fans took to social media to express their disappointment and frustration.

The criticism was largely directed at Saudi federation president Yasir Al-Meshal and Italian coach Roberto Mancini. Al-Meshal’s statement, in which he cited examples of teams that have stumbled in the first round of qualifiers, was met with particular disapproval.

Ali bin Abdullah wrote: “Yasser’s statement is wrong. It’s not right to reinforce failure by citing losing teams. Admitting mistakes and giving up praise is the first step to correction and compensation.”

Al-Aser also criticized Al-Meshal’s statement, saying: “A strange statement. Indonesian national team players are professionals in Europe, but where are Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester, Celtic, and Porto? An excuse that I did not expect from brother Yasir al-Mashal.”

Mancini also faced criticism, with tweeters blaming him for the loss. Mohamed Ben Samha wrote: “The Italian school is not suitable for us. We have repeated this sentence over and over again, and Mr. Mancini still insists on his way of playing.”

Zaid Al Ali demanded the departure of the Italian coach, saying: “The departure of the first Saudi national team coach Mancini is the demand of every rational person. What has he achieved with our national team since his arrival?”

However, some tweeters defended Mancini, saying the players did not perform as expected. Mood wrote: “After this match, our team is finished. The players were satisfied with just three points, and the blame is on Mancini.”

Reactions on Social Media

• Interactions with the Falcons stumbling in the first round reached nearly 2.2 million 20 hours after the match ended.
• Tweeters demanded the departure of the Italian coach, citing his failure to achieve results with the team.
• Some fans defended Mancini, saying the players were to blame for the loss.