Saudi Arabian footballer Saud Abdulhamid has been delayed in joining his national team’s World Cup training camp due to the theft of his passport during a break-in in Amsterdam. The Saudi Arabian Football Federation announced on May 25 that Abdulhamid’s private vehicle was broken into while he was at his wedding ceremony with family, resulting in the loss of personal belongings including his passport [1].
As a consequence, Abdulhamid was unable to travel to Riyadh as scheduled to join the Saudi national squad. The Federation said: "The player was unable to travel to Riyadh today as scheduled after his private vehicle was broken into in Amsterdam, where he was with his family for his wedding ceremony. The incident resulted in the loss of personal belongings, including his passport" [1].
The Saudi Arabian Football Federation is working together with the Ministry of Sport and the Saudi Embassy in the Netherlands to resolve the passport issue and expedite Abdulhamid’s travel so he can join the team. The Federation said it "is coordinating with the Ministry of Sport to follow up on the investigation and is also working with the Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the Netherlands to issue the necessary documents to enable the player to join the squad" [2].
Abdulhamid, on loan at French club RC Lens from Italy’s AS Roma, was named in the 30-man preliminary Saudi squad by newly appointed coach Georgios Donis for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup [1, 2].
The Saudi national team has already traveled to the United States, holding training camps in New York and Texas as they prepare for the tournament. Saudi Arabia will compete in Group H at the World Cup alongside Spain, Uruguay, and Cape Verde [1, 2].
Officials are working to ensure Abdulhamid joins the team as soon as possible to continue preparations ahead of the tournament.