The National Falcon Center auction achieves remarkable numbers until its 18th night

The National Falcon Center auction continues to achieve remarkable numbers, with the value of its sales amounting to approximately 4 million and 914 thousand riyals until the eighteenth night, amid wide participation from auctioneers in various regions of the Kingdom.

The number of falcons sold reached 32 falcons, with more than 147 bidders participating, while the most expensive falcon sold amounted to 375 thousand riyals, offered by Umm Khansar, in one of the most prominent deals witnessed in the auction since its launch.

The sold falcons were distributed across a number of regions of the Kingdom, in a scene that reflects the diversity of the offering sites and the breadth of participation in the auction, which witnesses the presence of falcons and those interested in acquiring falcons.

The volume of sales recorded until the eighteenth night reflects the activity witnessed by the auction, and its role in gathering falcons and buyers within an organized falconry market, in addition to preserving the cultural heritage associated with falconry in the Kingdom.

Participants and those interested in the auction are anticipating more deals during the coming nights, with the continued display of falcons coming from various regions of the Kingdom.

Participation in the Saudi League teams is no longer primarily linked to the player’s name, the amount of his contract, or his artistic standing among the fans. Rather, readiness and giving on the field have become the most important criterion that gives the player the opportunity to appear, which is clearly reflected in the clubs’ choices during the current season, especially in light of the multiplicity of local and foreign participations, and the technical staff’s keenness to rotate the elements and give the opportunity to the most prepared.

Following up on the minutes of participation in Saudi clubs reveals a positive scene represented by a large number of players joining the Saudi national team obtaining real opportunities, whether in the Saudi Professional League competitions, the King’s Cup, or continental and Gulf championships, such as the AFC Champions League for the elite, the AFC Champions League 2, and the Gulf Champions League.

Participation in secondary matches or foreign tournaments is no longer just a passing opportunity, but has become, for some players, a gateway to grabbing a key place in the squad.

The experience of goalkeeper Abdul Quddus Attiya stands out as an example of this, after he received opportunities to participate with his team in league matches and some Asian confrontations, and he succeeded in taking advantage of the minutes he was given, to be among the options of the Saudi national team. The same is true for Al-Khuloud goalkeeper Hamed Youssef, who found himself with a greater opportunity to participate mainly in light of the club not contracting with a foreign goalkeeper, which was reflected in his regular attendance, leading up to his joining the national team.

Muhammad Al Owais also presented an example of a goalkeeper who was able to capitalize on his previous participation and experience, after he was crowned the best goalkeeper in the Gulf Cup tournament.

In the defense line, Abdul-Ilah Al-Omari stands out as one of the most prominent beneficiaries of Al-Nasr’s technical confidence, after he succeeded in reserving a starting position, which gave the coach additional options in dealing with some positions, including using Martinez in the left-back position, which the team suffered from in different periods.

Sultan Tinker and Abdullah Al-Khatib were also among the most prominent discoveries of the season, after Australian coach Arthur Pappas, coach of Al-Ettifaq, and Tunisian Jalal Al-Qadri, coach of Al-Hazm, gave them the opportunity to appear and participate on a regular basis, to confirm that artistic confidence when combined with diligence and readiness is capable of creating new names in the competition.

At the level of major clubs and foreign professionals, there is a group of Saudi players who have become constantly present elements in the accounts of their coaches.

In Al-Hilal and Al-Nasr, Hassan Timbukti, Ali Lagami, Nawaf Bushel, Mohamed Mahzri, Saud Abdel Hamid, a professional in French club Lens, and Mohamed Abu Al-Shamat with Al-Qadisiyah, participate on a regular basis, with a number of them receiving high playing minutes, which enhances their technical presence and gives them the required continuity.

The scene is not limited to these names; Mutaib Al-Harbi continues to appear in a number of matches, while a group of players, led by Al-Jawir, Fares Abdi, Mukhtar Ali, Muhammad Kanno, Ziad Al-Juhani, Abdullah Al-Khaibari, Nasser Al-Dosari and Abdul-Malik Al-Ayiri, have become among the main or important options in their clubs, whether NEOM, Al-Hilal, Al-Nasr, Al-Ahly, Al-Ittihad, or Al-Qadisiyah, with participation rates varying according to the circumstances of each team and the physical and technical readiness.

On the other hand, there are other names that attend almost continuously, including Sultan Mandash, Muhammad Al-Qahtani, Marwan Al-Sahafi, Muhammad Al-Kuwaikbi, Ahmed Al-Ghamdi, Turki Al-Ammar, Abdullah Al-Hamdan, Firas Al-Braikan and Abdullah Al-Salem, who get opportunities to participate in various competitions, whether in the league or Asian competitions, which gives coaches a wider space to benefit from local elements instead of restricting participation to a limited group of names.

These data gain greater importance when looking at the Saudi national team list chosen by Greek coach Georgios Donis, which included 30 players, as the real value of this list does not lie only in the names on it, but rather in the fact that a large number of its members are now getting opportunities to actually participate with their clubs, whether primarily or through participating for influential periods during the matches.

The most important indicator for an international player is not simply being on the roster of his team or national team, but rather continuity in playing and maintaining the competitive system. When a player gets between 45 and 60 minutes in a match, or exceeds that by participating as a starter, he has a better opportunity to maintain his readiness and gain match sensitivity, which is what the team needs before the upcoming matches.

This picture confirms that multiple tournaments and foreign participations can turn into a real opportunity for the Saudi player, as long as the coaches manage their rosters well and give confidence to the ready-made players. Cup matches and continental and Gulf championships are not just a space for professionals to rest or rotate the lineup, but rather can be a platform for discovering players capable of imposing themselves in the starting lineup.

The Saudi player no longer waits for an opportunity, but rather is required to create it when he has it. The experiences of this season confirm that whoever presents himself well gets more space, and that the criterion for participation has begun to gradually shift from names and contracts to readiness and technical performance. This is an important message for the clubs before it is for the national team: the local player is capable of competing and seizing his place once he gains confidence and proves his right to it.

Football sports systems around the world rely on long-term investment in emerging talent and preparing generations capable of making a difference in the future by including rising stars in the national teams. This is self-evident, but what is striking recently is the emergence of some players at a late age. That is, after they are approximately twenty-seven years old, they gain the trust of the coaches and gain the honor of representing the national teams well and deserved, after an arduous journey of patience and struggle.

The emergence of these players at an advanced stage of their career is due to multiple reasons: At the forefront of which is the football and tactical maturity accumulated over the years, along with professional awareness and personal attention to the physical and nutritional details that give the body an additional lifespan on the field. Technical stability and the opportunity to continuously participate with their clubs also play a decisive role in refining their abilities, which gives them the confidence necessary to appear fully prepared and impose their names on the options of the technical staff without haste.

This phenomenon is clearly evident in the list of the current Saudi national team camp in November 2026, which includes prominent names, some of whom were able to obtain their first call-ups at an advanced age, led by Al-Ittifaq Club defender Abdullah Al-Khatib, aged 31, and Al-Hazm Club defender Sultan Tankar, aged 28, who joined for the first time in their careers, in addition to striker Abdullah Al Salem, Muhammad Al-Kuwaikbi, and Ali Lagami, who imposed their international presence at this advanced stage. This situation was repeated with former players in the history of Al-Akhdar who were able to write their names in golden letters. Such as goalkeeper Ahmed Al-Kassar, who wore the national team's shirt as a starter in the 2023 Asian Cup at the age of 32, and striker Hassan Al-Raheb, who was called up at the age of 29, and defender Omar Hawsawi, who began his international career at the age of 28 until he took the captaincy and represented the nation in the 2018 World Cup, and Abdul Majeed Al-Ruwaili after his exceptional season at the age of 29.

This unique situation is not limited to Saudi stadiums alone; Rather, it extends to include prominent global examples that confirm that brilliance knows no specific age. History remembers the veteran Italian striker Luca Toni, and stars such as the English striker Jamie Vardy, who began his real career and rose with Leicester City to represent the England national team for the first time at the age of twenty-eight, recording a famous international story of struggle, along with the Italian striker Antonio Di Natale, who shined internationally and was crowned top scorer in Serie A at the end of his football career.

These local and international examples prove beyond a doubt that the door to the national team always remains open to every diligent person who possesses persistence and determination, regardless of his ID card or chronological age, so that the pure technical levels within the green rectangle remain the true and only criterion for evaluation and earning the honor of wearing the nation’s emblem.