Saudi Arabia’s national team earned a goalless draw against Australia in the fifth round of 2026 World Cup qualifiers at Melbourne’s Rectangular Stadium on Thursday. Despite missing several key players due to injury, French coach Hervé Renard secured a valuable point in his first match since taking over from Roberto Mancini last month.
First Half: Saudi Arabia in Control
The first half ended scoreless, with the Green Falcons dominating possession. However, both teams struggled to create significant attacking chances. Australia missed several opportunities, while Saudi Arabia’s defense held firm, blocking multiple shots. Despite controlling the ball, Saudi Arabia’s offensive threats were not as sharp as expected.
Australia made seven attempts on goal, with only one shot on target. Two shots went wide, and four were blocked by Saudi defenders. In contrast, the Green Falcons had two attempts, one on target and the other off the field.
Saudi Arabia controlled 60% of the ball in the first half, while Australia had 40%.
In the second half, the Green Falcons maintained possession, but Australia remained dangerous on the counter. Australia wasted several chances throughout the half, failing to break down the Saudi defense.
Dramatic Final Moments
In the fifth minute of added time, Sultan Al-Ghannam thought he had scored the winner from a free-kick. The ball rebounded to him in the penalty area, and he fired it into the net. However, the referee disallowed the goal after VAR check, citing an offside violation by defender Ali Al-Bulayhi, who was deemed to have interfered with play.
With this result, Saudi Arabia maintained their third place in Group C with six points, level with Australia, who are second on goal difference, four points behind leaders Japan.
The Green Falcons’ upcoming game will be against fifth-placed Indonesia on Tuesday.
