Arab Cup 2025 / Palestine - Saudi Arabia: head-to-head history

Saudi Arabia approaches its quarter-final clash against Palestine with a clear historical advantage. In ten encounters across all competitions, the Saudis boast 5 victories and 5 draws, while Palestine has never managed to secure a win over their Gulf neighbors. This daunting record inevitably weighs heavily in the build-up to this Arab Cup 2025 showdown.

The two nations first met in 1992 during the Arab Cup, with Saudi Arabia claiming a 2-1 victory. Since then, history has repeated itself: from World Cup qualifiers to friendlies, Saudi Arabia has consistently dominated, highlighted by a resounding 5-0 win in March 2021 and a 3-2 triumph in the 2015 qualifiers. Several matches have nevertheless ended in close scores or draws, proving that Palestine is capable of putting up resistance—even if overturning the trend remains elusive.

Thursday’s encounter thus represents a fresh challenge for the Palestinians, who dream of a first-ever historic victory. Up against an ambitious and seasoned Saudi side, it would take something special to pull off an upset... but in knockout football, anything is possible.