Why is Saudi Arabia called KSA? Explaining country code for 2026 World Cup team

On June 15, Saudi Arabia earned their first point of the 2026 World Cup in a hard-fought draw against South-American side Uruguay.

Saudi Arabia, also known as The Green Falcons, has earned a point or more in their last two World Cup opening matches. A bonus that comes with that is garnering more eyes that may not have been familiar with the country before the tournament.

Fans tuning into the TV broadcast will have noticed that Saudi Arabia was abbreviated to 'KSA' in the score box. The fact that the team uses "KSA" and not "SAU" or "SAA" seemed to have confused many viewers.

Here's why Saudi Arabia has a different abbreviation than what many would have expected.

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Why is Saudi Arabia KSA?

Saudi Arabia's abbreviation is "KSA" on World Cup scoreboards because the country's official name is "the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia." 

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was formed in 1932 after the dual kingdoms of the Hejaz and Najd were unified by royal decree, according to Britannica.

In international sports, such as soccer and the Olympics, FIFA and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) use the KSA abbreviation when showing the title on a scoreboard.

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Where is Saudi Arabia?

Saudi Arabia is located in the Middle East. The country is surrounded by Egypt and Eritrea across the Red Sea, Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Yemen.

Saudi Arabia is the largest country in the Middle East in terms of land size (830,000 square miles).

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