The Crown Prince met the players along with officials from the ministry of sports and the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) at his office here on Sunday, ahead of their participation in the World Cup next month in Qatar.

The Crown Prince congratulated everyone on qualifying for the World Cup, highlighting the continuous role and effort exerted to ensure qualification. “This (qualifying for the World Cup) has become a necessity for us as Saudis.”

The Crown Prince called on the players to enjoy these three matches and to play the group matches without any pressure that could affect their normal performance. He said that the Kingdom’s group in the World Cup is difficult and that the team is not expected to achieve great results. “We’re following what you’re doing and we hope the future is better,” he added.

Minister of Sports Prince Abdul Aziz bin Turki Al-Faisal and SAFF President Yassir Al-Mishel were present at the meeting.