Al-Hilal provide most players as Saudi Arabia name Under-21 squad for Asian Games

Al-Hilal have the strongest representation in Saudi Arabia’s 23-man Under-21 squad for the 2026 Asian Games, while the tournament’s leading scorer, Al-Ettifaq striker Mohammed Al-Essa, has been left out.

The Saudi team will compete in the football competition at the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, which will take place from 14 September to 3 October this year.

Head coach Luigi Di Biagio has selected four Al-Hilal players in his final squad: Mishal Al-Dawood, Saad Al-Mutairi, Sabri Dahl and Turki Al-Ghumail.

Al-Nassr are the next best represented club, with three players included. They are Awad Aman, Bassam Hazzazi and Saad Haqoui.

Al-Ittihad have contributed two members to the squad Mohammed Barnawi and Farhah Al-Shamrani while Al-Qadsiah are also represented by two players, Ammar Al-Yahibi and Iyad Hosa.

The squad contains only one player from Al-Ahli, winger Ziyad Malla. He is the joint-second-highest scorer in the Jawi Elite League, Saudi Arabia’s Under-21 competition, with four goals.

Malla’s tally is level with that of Jefferson Ramos, the Al-Fateh forward from Cape Verde.

However, the most notable omission is Al-Ettifaq striker Al-Essa, who leads the Jawi Elite League scoring charts with five goals. He scored all five in the opening two matches of the competition but was not included in Di Biagio’s selection.

The Saudi Under-21 side have been drawn in Group D at the Asian Games alongside Qatar and South Korea.

Their opening group match will be against Qatar on 18 September, before they face South Korea four days later.

The tournament will be staged in Nagoya, with football forming part of the wider 2026 Asian Games programme. Saudi Arabia’s squad announcement was made by the national team ahead of the side’s preparations for the competition.

The confirmed players included in the announcement are:

– Al-Hilal: Mishal Al-Dawood, Saad Al-Mutairi, Sabri Dahl and Turki Al-Ghumail – Al-Nassr: Awad Aman, Bassam Hazzazi and Saad Haqoui – Al-Ittihad: Mohammed Barnawi and Farhah Al-Shamrani – Al-Qadsiah: Ammar Al-Yahibi and Iyad Hosa – Al-Ahli: Ziyad Malla – Al-Fateh: Jefferson Ramos

The Jawi Elite League can be watched through stc tv, where viewers can register to follow the Saudi Under-21 competition.