FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers: Saudi Arabia forced to delay trip to Pakistan

Saudi Arabia were forced to delay their trip to Pakistan for the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers next month, according to Al-Riyadiah.

Saudi squad was supposed to leave for Islamabad two days before the match but that was later changed to one day due to absence of proper training fields and poor condition of Jinnah Stadium.

It must be noted that Pakistan will face Saudi Arabia at the Jinnah Stadium on June 6 during the ongoing second round of the Asian Qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Pakistan are at the bottom of Group G as they have lost all four matches they have played so far. Pakistan began their journey with a 4-0 defeat at the hands of Saudi Arabia in Al-Ahsa in November followed by a 6-1 loss at the hands of Tajikistan at Islamabad in the same month.

Jordan then defeated Pakistan 3-0 in Islamabad in a game held in Ramadan with the Shaheens also losing the reverse fixture 7-0 at the Amman International Stadium.

Meanwhile, Trishan Patel, the assistant coach of the Pakistan Football team believes that the national team will play with more commitment against Saudi Arabia.

“Saudi Arabia is a fantastic team. However, we will approach every game with excitement, determination, and fight, never with fear. Although our last two qualifying matches were disappointing, I believe that in the final two games, we will display a more committed team with a greater tactical understanding," Patel was quoted as saying by the Pakistan Football Federation in a press release.

Trishan, who has also been assigned the responsibility of Performance Analyst, further said: "I think first and foremost when you come up against a high-caliber opposition such as Saudi Arabia, you need to be clear with what you want in possession and out of possession. The boys on the camp have trained extremely hard and we are continuously working to evolve as a team and provide the right training so our trajectory is in an upward direction."