Stars of global football and the entertainment world attended a glittering ceremony in Riyadh on Monday to honor the Saudi international team who have qualified for next year’s World Cup finals in Russia.
The unique event included a penalty shoot-out contest against a robot goalkeeper — which saved shots from top players such as Roma legend Francesco Totti, former Barcelona and Real Madrid star Luis Figo, and Brazilians Rivaldo and Roberto Carlos.
Other famous players at the event were Italian star Paolo Maldini, Didier Drogba, of Côte d’Ivoire, Barcelona legend Carles Puyol and Ryan Giggs of Manchester United and Wales.
The only “player” who managed to score against the robot was not in fact a footballer — it was the Egyptian artist Mohamed Henedi.
Entertainment was provided by Mohammed Abdo, Rashid Al Majid, Rabah Saqr, Abadi Al-Jawhar, Majed Al-Mohandes and Abdallah Al-Rowaished.
The Chairman of the General Sports Authority, Turki bin Abdulmohsen Al Al-Sheikh, inaugurated the Saudi team mascot, “Saqr,” during the ceremony at the Prince Faisal bin Fahad Complex in the Saudi capital.
It was revealed at the event that Saudi Arabia may play a match next year against Iraq, which has suffered a series of FIFA bans on international matches inside the country. The last one was lifted only in May this year.
“I ask the president of the Saudi Arabian Football Association, Adel Ezzat, to let the Saudi football team play a game in Iraq in the first quarter of 2018,” Al-Sheikh said.