World Cup 2026: Saudi Arabia, Qatar exits show money can’t buy success
Saudi Arabia comes out as soon as possible. Again. It is last in a group that includes tiny Cape Verde, the third-smallest nation competing in this stage and making its debut in the knockout.
Saudi Arabia has created a huge change in club football, signing the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Karim Benzema as part of a spectacular recruitment drive in recent years. But on the international stage, eight years on from hosting the 2034 World Cup, there is still a long way to go.
Qatar, which hosted the game four years ago, is also returning home after just three matches, as are other Gulf countries Iran and Iraq. Compared to the success of African teams at the World Cup, with nine out of 10 teams advancing to the round of 32, the Gulf countries are struggling hard to make their mark.
A goalless draw against Cape Verde ended Saudi Arabia’s hopes of advancing out of the group stage for the first time since 1994.
“This was not what we wanted because when we played in such a match against a team that was more or less at the same level as us, our performance was not good. So this creates concern,” said Saudi coach Georgios Donis.
Qatar made history with their first point of the World Cup by scoring a dramatic last equalizing goal against Switzerland. But there was another disappointing early exit after being eliminated just two games into their home tournament in 2022. “I think these show that we can at least compete in these types of matches,” said coach Julen Lopetegui.
The appointment of Lopetegui, the former coach of Spain and Real Madrid, is a testament to Qatar’s investment to improve its performance on the global stage. Unlike Saudi Arabia, it has not made such a bold attempt to lure Europe’s aging stars into its league.
Despite a population of 3 million and only around 300,000 citizens, it has managed to produce enough domestic players to win back-to-back Asian Cups in recent years and maintain its dominance in a region home to powers such as Japan and South Korea.
But he failed to translate those performances into the World Cup, and such an early exit represents a disappointment less than four years after hosting the tournament and spending billions of dollars to create eight state-of-the-art stadiums.
“If you compare it with other countries… of course we know who we are,” Lopetegui said. “But I also think that this is a small country, but it is done with great passion, with great investment… We need to improve every day, and that’s what they did.
“We’re certainly optimistic about the future.”
It’s all about the future of Saudi Arabia, too, after winning the right to host the World Cup in 2034.
From buying Premier League Newcastle to launching LIV Golf and hosting world championship boxing matches and Formula 1, he has been on a mission to become a global sporting influence.
The World Cup will be a standout success as it aims to move away from heavy dependence on oil and explore other income-generating sectors.
He will want his national team to make a statement at their home tournament and the hope is that standards will be raised as superstar signings such as Ronaldo raise the league’s profile.
After suffering one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history four years ago, beating eventual champions Argentina, there was no standout moment this time around; they failed to advance past the group stage for the sixth consecutive year.
“I think when we have these stars in the Arab League, the more competitive the competition is, the better our players will be,” Donis said. “But it’s different when we play for the national team because those experiences in the national team require a certain mentality.”
As 2034 approaches, it is clear that the focus will be on developing homegrown talent.
Star transfers from abroad have slowed down and some big names, including Neymar, have left the team. US Soccer’s sporting director Matt Crocker has been persuaded to head talent development efforts in Saudi Arabia, and investment in youth is said to have doubled in the past three years.
Iran has been competing in World Cups since 1978, although Saudi Arabia and Qatar have caused a stir with their sudden mega-spending.
Following the war with the United States, it had to struggle with preparation and travel difficulties and narrowly missed the chance to become the best third-placed team after three draws. In seven matches in the World Cup, it could not advance beyond the groups.
The same goes for Iraq’s two appearances, 40 years apart.
At a time when a massive 48-team World Cup offers history-making opportunities for the likes of Cape Verde and Congo, the Gulf nations are still waiting for their moment.
