SAUDI ARABIA

A leader on and off the pitch, perhaps it is the fact that the centre-back hails from the city of Taif in the Hijaz mountains in the west of the country, that he seems to have an air of calmness and stability. Any games at altitude will also not be a problem. Played all three games at the 2022 World Cup but has been in and out of the national team since, though Hervé Renard was more of a fan than his predecessor Roberto Mancini was. Now it remains to be seen what Georgios Donis makes of him. He may be strong in the air and tidy on the ball but he is no longer an automatic choice for club or country but gives everything when called upon. Back at Al-Nassr for the 2025-26 season having been on loan at Al-Ittihad the previous campaign.

Was named man of the match in the famous 2-1 win over Argentina at the 2022 World Cup, a feat made even more impressive given that the Saudi Arabia No 1 was No 2 for his club at the time and that he had to regain his focus after a collision which left teammate Yasser Al-Shahrani unconscious and unable to carry on. In 2025 Al-Owais tired of playing second fiddle to Yassine ‘Bono’ Bounou at Al-Hilal and dropped down a division to help Al-Ula’s promotion push, where he has enjoyed a new lease of life. A calm presence around the team, which means he may well have an important role to play at the World Cup despite the fact he is not expected to be the No 1 this time around.