Donis Praises Lamine Yamal and Defends Salem Al-Dawsari

Greek Georgios Donis, coach of the Saudi national team, confirmed that the Green players are aware of the responsibility before the strong confrontation against Spain in the 2026 World Cup, given the importance of the match in terms of qualifying calculations from the group stage.

The Saudi national team is preparing to play an important match against its Spanish counterpart in the second round of the group stage, in a meeting that could directly affect the path of both teams in the tournament.

Donis spoke about the criticisms faced by the Green captain Salem Al-Dawsari after the match against Uruguay, confirming that this is natural for experienced players, and that stars are always under media and public pressure.

The coach of the Saudi national team explained that dealing with criticism is an essential part of the nature of football, stressing that the current focus within the team is on teamwork and team spirit away from any external pressures.

Regarding the possibility of repeating the historic victory over Argentina in the 2022 World Cup, Donis emphasized the need to focus solely on the match against Spain without being preoccupied with the past or comparisons.

He pointed out that the Spanish team relies on possession and control, which requires the Green team to have great organization and high concentration throughout the match to keep up with the opponent.

The Greek coach concluded with the young Spanish star Lamine Yamal, considering him one of the world's most prominent talents despite his young age, due to his high technical abilities, clear football maturity, and ability to make a difference, making him an influential element in the Spanish team.