March 15 (Reuters) - Egypt will play Saudi Arabia in a friendly in Jeddah on March 27 after both sides shifted their international‑window training camps from Qatar due to travel disruptions caused by the conflict in the Middle East, the federations said on Sunday.
Qatar had planned to stage a wider football festival this month that would have included the 'Finalissima' between Spain and Argentina, but the event was scrapped after UEFA cancelled the match due to regional instability.
The Saudi federation said their squad would now train in Jeddah and Serbia and play an additional friendly away to Serbia in Belgrade on March 31 as part of preparations for the 2026 World Cup.
Egypt said the Jeddah match was arranged to secure strong preparation for the finals in North America later this year, thanking Qatar for its initial efforts to host the festival.
Egypt will play in Group G in the June-July tournament alongside Belgium, Iran and New Zealand, while Saudi Arabia are drawn in Group H with Spain, Uruguay and Cape Verde.
(Reporting by Ashraf Hamed AttaEditing by Christian Radnedge)
