In-Depth: The Arab world sent a record eight teams to the World Cup, but their mixed fortunes reveal the long road ahead to building lasting football power.
It was the biggest World Cup ever for the Arab world with no fewer than eight representatives, but the 48-team tournament hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico held mixed fortunes for Middle Eastern teams.
Morocco, Egypt, and Algeria all got out of their groups, while Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Iraq, and Tunisia fell at the first hurdle without winning a single game.
Also unsurprising is that Morocco, as in 2022, went the furthest. Then, the Atlas Lions lost to France in the semi-finals; this time they lost to the same team in the quarters.
It was unfortunate to meet the star-studded Les Bleus, but the North Africans have already confirmed their status as a real force, drawing with Brazil in the group stage before going on to eliminate European powerhouse the Netherlands and co-hosts Canada.
Their success demonstrates one of the themes of the tournament, especially for the Arab world – nations that send players to the top leagues of Europe are better equipped to take on the top teams at the World Cup.
Morocco is full of such stars. As well as the established names like Achraf Hakimi of European champions Paris Saint-Germain, there is a new hero in 18-year-old midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, who impressed to the extent that English Premier League giants Manchester City and Arsenal are reportedly willing to pay over $100 million to sign the teenager.
Other teams would love to have such interest. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Jordan have overwhelmingly domestic-based squads. When the pressure was on, mistakes were made at crucial moments, and the teams were eliminated in the first round. More needs to be done to export talent.
“Our players are young, and we need to take advantage of the experience we had here and ensure we do better at a higher level of competition,” Jamal Sellami, Jordan’s Moroccan coach who left the post after the tournament, said.
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“To be at the top level, we need to have more players to play at that high level.”
Jordan has an excuse, as this was a first appearance and, like Iraq (who made their first and last appearance in 1986), the gap in quality with the top teams like France and Argentina was just too much.
The challenge is to use the tournament, the exposure, the interest, and the financial rewards to invest and build foundations for the future.
Money, however, is not enough on its own as Saudi Arabia and Qatar found. Both nations, especially the former, have spent huge amounts on importing star talent.
Clubs in Riyadh and Jeddah have some of the most recognisable football faces on the planet, and there is no doubt that the level of the local league has improved, with Al-Ahli winning the last two Asian Champions League titles and Al-Hilal defeating European powerhouse Manchester City at the FIFA Club World Cup last year.
It is debatable, however, as to how much the local players have improved, and the money available at home discourages them from trying their luck elsewhere.
At their seventh appearance, Saudi Arabia started well with a draw against Uruguay but failed to beat Cape Verde and went home. Qatar was worse. The back-to-back Asian champions fell to a humiliating 6-0 loss against Canada, the co-host’s first-ever World Cup win.
The modern international game is no longer just about exporting talent to Europe but using Europe to develop talent for your national team. Morocco has done this to an extensive degree, giving players born in France and elsewhere with Moroccan heritage the chance to play.
In one group game, the team’s entire eleven was born overseas. In the tournament itself, over a quarter of the 1,248 players in North America were not born in the country they represented. Using this wisely is a route to success, and of the Arab nations, Iraq seems to be the best-placed.
Sometimes failures are down to more traditional football reasons. Saudi Arabia changed coaches two months before the kick-off in a gamble that did not pay off. Qatar, stung by its failure on home soil in 2022, went for Julen Lopetegui but the former Spain and Real Madrid boss baffled with some of his decisions, reinforcing the need for coaches who know the local culture, league, and players.
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Tunisia, who endured a terrible tournament after losing all three games and conceding 12 goals, the same as Iraq, fired coach Sabri Lamouchi after the first game and then replaced him with Herve Renard, the Frenchman dismissed by Saudi Arabia two months earlier. It was never going to end well.
Egypt provided the biggest story and left North America with the sympathy of much of the watching world. The Pharaohs had never survived the first round at the previous three attempts but made light work of the group stage this time. Then they squeezed past Australia on penalties to set up a Round of 16 clash with defending champions Argentina.
It was billed as Mohamed Salah vs Lionel Messi, and while few gave the Reds a chance, with 12 minutes remaining they were leading 2-0 despite having a goal controversially disallowed. The world was watching, but then the South Americans came back to win 3-2, even if their final goal was also controversial, with Egypt feeling they should have received a penalty just before the Argentine attack started.
As a game it was thrilling, and Egypt’s players and coach made their feelings about the fairness of it all known, claiming that it had been rigged. International observers may not have gone that far, but there was huge sympathy and a feeling that the traditional powers were getting the big decisions.
And while it remains that Egypt threw away a two-goal lead late in the game, once the dust settles, they will look back with pride.
Not all in the Arab world will say that, but none will deny the drama and excitement of the past few weeks.
It showed that those who build long-term visions see the results of their labours if patience is kept; that integrating with the European ecosystem is key, and that developing local leagues, players, and coaches can’t be ignored.
It showed all the things that World Cups usually show and more, and those that learn the lessons will be back in 2030, and much stronger.
John Duerden has covered Asian sport for over 20 years for The Guardian, Associated Press, ESPN, BBC, New York Times, as well as various Asian media. He is also the author of four books
