Saudi Arabia coach vows attacking approach against Uruguay at World Cup

Saudi Arabia's coach Georgios Donis has declared that his team will not adopt a defensive "park the bus" strategy when they face Uruguay in their opening match of the 2026 World Cup in Miami. Donis asserted that such an approach contradicts the football philosophy he intends to instill in the Green Falcons, preferring his players to be bold and competitive throughout the game.

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We are ready to press the opponent. We are ready to defend in an organized manner. We are ready to launch counter-attacks. We are also ready to create chances.

"We are ready to press the opponent. We are ready to defend in an organized manner. We are ready to launch counter-attacks. We are also ready to create chances," Donis stated at a press conference. He added, "We cannot know how the match will unfold, but we are not preparing a team that will play passively and just wait for the opponent to react. We are preparing a team that will play with confidence."

While Saudi Arabia faces a challenging path to the knockout stage in Group H, which also includes Spain and Cape Verde, Donis stressed that the team's focus extends beyond merely avoiding defeat. He acknowledged the limited preparation time since he took over from previous coach Herve Renard but expressed confidence in his players' capacity to adapt to his methods. "Everything happened quickly. The training period was also short, but the players showed an attitude that gives me confidence," he said.

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We cannot know how the match will unfold, but we are not preparing a team that will play passively and just wait for the opponent to react. We are preparing a team that will play with confidence.

Saudi Arabia has a history of notable World Cup performances, including a significant upset victory over Argentina in the 2022 tournament and reaching the knockout stages in 1994. Donis also views the exposure of Saudi players to global stars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema in the Saudi Pro League as an advantage when facing Uruguay's squad, which includes players such as Federico Valverde.

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Everything happened quickly. The training period was also short, but the players showed an attitude that gives me confidence.