Published on 6/21/2026
Mohammed Al Owais was not supposed to be the first goalkeeper for the Saudi national team in the 2026 World Cup, and it was even expected that he would not be called up at all, but the Al-Ula goalkeeper in the second division, who informed the team management of his intention to retire from international football more than a year ago, is guarding the “Green” goal in North America.
Last March, Saudi Arabia conceded four goals in a friendly match against Egypt in preparation for the World Cup, which raised the alarm bell and forced the technical staff to search for a goalkeeper other than those on its list.
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Al Owais (34 years old), who informed the national team of his intention to retire from international football in 2025, received a call informing him of his summons to face Serbia in a friendly match in the same month, where he played the match, which he lost (1-2) as a starter.
Al Owais ended his 452-day absence from the national team, after his last international appearance before that was on December 31, 2024, against Oman in the Gulf Cup semi-final.
In the first test during the World Cup finals hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, he led his country to a draw with Uruguay (1-1) by stopping nine attempts.
Although he did not win the best player award in the match, which went to Uruguayan Federico Valverde, Al Owais told reporters: “In all honesty, as long as my fans, my parents, my wife, my children, and my colleagues are proud of me because I represent them with distinction, this is a pride and honor for me.”
He added: “The award is only a symbolic sign, but for me the biggest gain is those around me and my family. They are the foundation, like a symbol on my chest.”
Al Owais’s career with Al-Akhdar began in 2015 when he was a goalkeeper for Al-Shabab Club, which he founded with him, before moving to Al-Hilal in 2017.
The best goalkeeper of the 2018 season in the Saudi League played 62 international matches, including the famous victory over Argentina (2-1) in the 2022 World Cup, when he won the Best Player of the Match award.
After participating in the Gulf Cup and not keeping a clean sheet in three matches, he informed the team management of his intention to retire internationally, but this was not officially announced and he was not called up for 21 consecutive matches.
His move to Al-Ula from Al-Hilal after he became a backup goalkeeper for Moroccan international Yassine Bounou, brought him back into the limelight, as he left with a clean sheet in 11 of the 33 matches he played and conceded 29 goals, which prompted former French coach Herve Renard to call him up again.
Renard revealed that Al Owais’s exclusion in previous periods was linked to his physical readiness and the rate of his participation with his club, noting that “his move to AlUla gave him the opportunity to play regularly.”
Renard’s career with the national team was not complete, as he was relieved of his duties after a decline in results. However, Al Owais remained in the accounts of the new Greek coach, Yorgos Donis.
With two other goalkeepers being tested in friendly matches, Al Owais was chosen to be the starter in the World Cup, and he proved his worth and experience against Uruguay.
Saudi Arabia is playing its second match against Spain, which was shocked by a draw with Cape Verde in the second group, and is set to qualify from the group stage for the second time in the history of its participation after 1994 in the United States.
