Premier League club, Newcastle United, announced on Wednesday that Saudi Arabia’s men’s football team is scheduled to compete in two international friendly matches at the St James’ Park stadium in September.
Back in June, ESPN reported that discussions were underway for Newcastle to host a Saudi Arabia friendly during the September international break.
Given that the majority shareholder of Newcastle is Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), the club is set to facilitate the Saudi national side’s matches against Costa Rica on September 8 and South Korea on September 12 at St James’ Park.
These two games are integral to Saudi Arabia’s preparations for the upcoming AFC Asian Cup, which is slated to take place in Qatar in January 2024.
Notably, Saudi Arabia has clinched the Asian Cup title three times, with their most recent victory occurring in 1996.