Spain vs. Saudi Arabia predicted lineups, starting 11 for World Cup 2026 Group H game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium
JUMP TO:
- Spain projected starting 11
- Saudi Arabia projected starting 11
- Spain and Saudi Arabia World Cup rosters
- Spain vs. Saudi Arabia odds, prediction
- How to watch Spain vs. Saudi Arabia
Spain aim to put their disappointing start to the 2026 FIFA World Cup to bed as they take on Saudi Arabia in matchday two of Group H play.
Read more Why is Saudi Arabia called KSA? Explaining country code for 2026 World Cup team
La Roja were stunned by minnows Cape Verde to begin their tournament, held to a 0-0 draw behind the goalkeeping heroics of Vozinha, who made seven fabulous saves.
That has left the entire group deadlocked after the first round of games, as Saudi Arabia also managed to hold Uruguay to just a point on a 1-1 draw.
The Sporting News brings you a look at the projected starting lineups for both teams, as well as an overview of their World Cup squads, plus odds, predictions, and how to watch the game.
2026 WORLD CUP HQ: Latest World Cup news | Full World Cup schedule | Buy World Cup tickets
Spain predicted starting 11
4-3-3, right to left: 24. Simon (GK) — 5. Llorente, 22. Cubarsi, 14. Laporte, 24. Cucurella — 8. F. Ruiz, 16. Rodri, 20. Pedri — 19. Lamine Yamal, 21. Oyarzabal, 17. N. Williams.
- Injured: None
- Suspended: None
- On a yellow card: Pedri
It remains to be seen whether Lamine Yamal or Nico Williams can pass fit enough to start, but it’s considered likely that both will see the field after coming off the bench in the opener against Cape Verde.
It will be intriguing to see whether Luis de la Fuente makes any other changes after the disappointing opener, as Alejandro Grimaldo and Martin Zubimendi could be pushing for places in the XI.
Saudi Arabia predicted starting 11
3-4-3, right to left: 21. Al Owais (GK) — 5. Al Tambakti, 3. Lajami, 4. Al Amri — 12. Abdulhamid, 23. Kanno, 15. Alkhaibari, 24. Al-Harbi — 7. Al-Juwayr, 9. Al-Buraikan, 10. Al-Dawsari.
- Injured: None
- Suspended: None
- On a yellow card: Al Amri
It’s expected that Saudi Arabia head coach Georgios Donis will name an unchanged side for Saudi Arabia against Spain, as the XI he submitted in the opener impressed mightily against Uruguay.
Read more Panda Goes Boom Slot Review
The only player with a yellow card to worry about is defender Abdulelah Al Amri, who also scored his team’s only goal in the opening match.
2026 WORLD CUP HQ: Latest World Cup news | Full World Cup schedule | Buy World Cup tickets
Spain vs. Saudi Arabia prediction, betting odds
| DraftKings (USA) | |
| Spain win | -1000 |
| Draw | +950 |
| Saudi Arabia win | +2500 |
| Both teams to score | Y: +195 N: -255 |
| Over / Under 3.5 goals | O: +125 U: -155 |
| Spain -2.5 goals | +100 |
| Saudi Arabia +2.5 goals | -125 |
- Prediction: Spain 2-0 Saudi Arabia
Spain’s opening-round draw against Cape Verde was massively disappointing, but there was little to worry about overall, as the underlying numbers were strong, registering 27 shots for 2.1 xG throughout the match. It was a bit slow on the whole, but largely they should have scored. Sometimes, ball doesn’t go goal.
Even though Saudi Arabia’s defensive organization can be impressive at times, Spain should generate enough attacking pressure to get past their opponents here and take control of the group. Expect a low-scoring affair, though.
Spain vs. Saudi Arabia World Cup rosters
Here are the names on the Spain and Saudi Arabia World Cup rosters. All caps and stats are correct as of the date of their announcement in May 2026.
MORE: Every World Cup squad for all 48 participants
Spain World Cup squad
MORE: A complete breakdown of Spain’s 2026 World Cup squad
Head coach: Luis de la Fuente
| Position | No. | Player | Club | Age | Caps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | 23 | Unai Simon | Athletic Club (La Liga, Spain) | 28 | 57 |
| GK | 1 | David Raya | Arsenal (Premier League, England) | 30 | 12 |
| GK | 13 | Joan Garcia | Barcelona (La Liga, Spain) | 25 | 1 |
| DEF | 24 | Marc Cucurella | Chelsea (Premier League, England) | 27 | 23 |
| DEF | 3 | Alejandro Grimaldo | Bayer Leverkusen (Bundesliga, Germany) | 30 | 12 |
| DEF | 22 | Pau Cubarsi | Barcelona (La Liga, Spain) | 19 | 11 |
| DEF | 14 | Aymeric Laporte | Athletic Club (La Liga, Spain) | 31 | 44 |
| DEF | 4 | Eric Garcia | Barcelona (La Liga, Spain) | 25 | 19 |
| DEF | 2 | Marc Pubill | Atletico Madrid (La Liga, Spain) | 22 | 0 |
| DEF | 5 | Marcos Llorente | Atletico Madrid (La Liga, Spain) | 31 | 23 |
| DEF | 12 | Pedro Porro | Tottenham (La Liga, Spain) | 26 | 16 |
| MID | 20 | Pedri | Barcelona (La Liga, Spain) | 23 | 40 |
| MID | 8 | Fabian Ruiz | Paris Saint-Germain (Ligue 1, Spain) | 30 | 41 |
| MID | 18 | Martin Zubimendi | Arsenal (Premier League, England) | 27 | 25 |
| MID | 9 | Gavi | Barcelona (La Liga, Spain) | 21 | 28 |
| MID | 16 | Rodri | Manchester City (Premier League, England) | 29 | 61 |
| MID | 15 | Alex Baena | Atletico Madrid (La Liga, Spain) | 24 | 15 |
| FWD | 21 | Mikel Oyazarbal | Real Sociedad (La Liga, Spain) | 29 | 52 |
| FWD | 10 | Dani Olmo | Barcelona (La Liga, Spain) | 28 | 48 |
| FWD | 17 | Nico Williams | Athletic Club (La Liga, Spain) | 23 | 30 |
| FWD | 11 | Yeremy Pino | Crystal Palace (Premier League, England) | 23 | 21 |
| FWD | 7 | Ferran Torres | Barcelona (La Liga, Spain) | 26 | 55 |
| FWD | 26 | Borja Iglesias | Celta Vigo (La Liga, Spain) | 33 | 6 |
| FWD | 25 | Victor Munoz | Osasuna (La Liga, Spain) | 22 | 2 |
| FWD | 19 | Lamine Yamal | Barcelona (La Liga, Spain) | 18 | 25 |
Saudi Arabia World Cup squad
Head coach: Georgios Donis
| Pos | No. | Name | Club | Age | Caps |
| GK | 21 | Mohammed Al Owais | Al Ula (First Division, Saudi Arabia) | 34 | 64 |
| GK | 1 | Nawaf Al Aqidi | Al Nassr (Pro League, Saudi Arabia) | 26 | 22 |
| GK | 22 | Ahmed Al Kassar | Al Qadsiah (Pro League, Saudi Arabia) | 35 | 9 |
| DEF | 4 | Abdulelah Al Amri | Al Nassr (Pro League, Saudi Arabia) | 29 | 43 |
| DEF | 5 | Hassan Altambakti | Al Hilal (Pro League, Saudi Arabia) | 27 | 52 |
| DEF | 25 | Jehad Thakri | Al Qadsiah (Pro League, Saudi Arabia) | 24 | 8 |
| DEF | 3 | Ali Lajami | Al Hilal (Pro League, Saudi Arabia) | 30 | 22 |
| DEF | 14 | Hassan Kadesh | Al Ittihad (Pro League, Saudi Arabia) | 33 | 21 |
| DEF | 12 | Saud Abdulhamid | Lens (Ligue 1, France) | 26 | 55 |
| DEF | 26 | Mohammed Abu Al Shamat | Al Qadsiah (Pro League, Saudi Arabia) | 23 | 7 |
| DEF | 2 | Ali Majrashi | Al Ahli (Pro League, Saudi Arabia) | 26 | 21 |
| DEF | 24 | Moteb Al Harbi | Al Hilal (Pro League, Saudi Arabia) | 26 | 13 |
| DEF | 13 | Nawaf Boushal | Al Nassr (Pro League, Saudi Arabia) | 26 | 25 |
| MID | 23 | Mohamed Kanno | Al Hilal (Pro League, Saudi Arabia) | 31 | 77 |
| MID | 15 | Abdullah Al Khaibari | Al Nassr (Pro League, Saudi Arabia) | 29 | 40 |
| MID | 16 | Ziyad Al Johani | Al Ahli (Pro League, Saudi Arabia) | 24 | 12 |
| MID | 6 | Nasser Al Dawsari | Al Hilal (Pro League, Saudi Arabia) | 27 | 44 |
| MID | 7 | Musab Al Juwayr | Al Qadsiah (Pro League, Saudi Arabia) | 22 | 35 |
| MID | 18 | Alaa Al Hejji | Neom (Pro League, Saudi Arabia) | 30 | 3 |
| MID | 10 | Salem Al Dawsari | Al Hilal (Pro League, Saudi Arabia) | 34 | 110 |
| MID | 17 | Khalid Al Ghannam | Al Ettifaq (Pro League, Saudi Arabia) | 25 | 7 |
| MID | 20 | Sultan Mandash | Neom (Pro League, Saudi Arabia) | 31 | 7 |
| MID | 8 | Ayman Yahya | Al Nassr (Pro League, Saudi Arabia) | 25 | 27 |
| FWD | 9 | Firas Al Buraikan | Al Ahli (Pro League, Saudi Arabia) | 26 | 70 |
| FWD | 11 | Saleh Al Shehri | Al Ittihad (Pro League, Saudi Arabia) | 32 | 55 |
| FWD | 19 | Abdullah Al Hamdan | Al Nassr (Pro League, Saudi Arabia) | 26 | 50 |
Where to watch Spain vs. Saudi Arabia
- TV channel: FOX
- Live stream: fubo,Fox One, Fox Sports app/website
This match will be broadcast nationally on Fox in the United States with streaming options available on its dedicated platforms.
The best place to catch the match is on streaming service fubo, with new customers able to sign up for a FREE trial.
SN
Stream live Mexico vs. South Africa
Watch Live Sports and TV Without Cable
Start Watching
Fubo offers a free trial for new subscribers, so you can try the service before you buy. Stream ESPN, ABC, CBS, Fox and 100+ top channels of live TV and sports without cable. (Participating plans only. Taxes and fees may apply.)
Read more Brazil’s Finance Minister Defends Tax Reform and Sports Betting Taxation
Comments