Soccer-Passport theft delays Abdulhamid as Saudis head to U.S (original) (raw)

May ⁠25 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia defender Saud Abdulhamid will arrive late to ⁠the national team's camp ahead of the World Cup after ‌his passport was stolen during a break-in in Amsterdam, the Saudi Arabian Football Federation said on Monday.

"The Saudi Arabian Football Federation wishes to provide an official update ​regarding Saud Abdulhamid's delayed arrival at the ⁠national team's training camp as ⁠preparations continue for the final phase ahead of FIFA World Cup ⁠2026," ‌SAFF said in a statement.

"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."

SAFF said it was working with authorities to resolve the issue.

"The Saudi Arabian Football Federation 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," the statement added.

Abdulhamid, who plays for French side RC Lens on loan from Italy's AS Roma, has been named in newly appointed coach Georgios Donis's 30-man preliminary squad.

The Saudi ​national team have travelled to the United States ⁠for training camps in New York and Texas, where they will ​fine-tune their preparations with friendlies against Ecuador, ‌Puerto Rico and Senegal.

Saudi Arabia will compete ​in Group H at the World Cup alongside Spain, Uruguay and Cape Verde.

(Reporting Ashraf Hamed AttaEditing by Christian Radnedge)