Saudi Pro League

Roshn Saudi League
دوري روشن السعودي
Organising body	Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF)
Founded	1957; 68 years ago; 1957–1974 (as His Majesty's League); 1974–1975 (as the Saudi Categorization League); 1975–2007 (as the Saudi Premier League); 2008–present (as the Saudi Pro League);
Country	Saudi Arabia
Confederation	AFC
Number of clubs	18 (since 2023–24)
Level on pyramid	1
Relegation to	Saudi First Division League
Domestic cup(s)	King's Cup; Saudi Super Cup
International cup(s)	AFC Champions League Elite; AFC Champions League Two; Gulf Club Champions League; Arab Club Champions Cup
Current champions	Al-Ittihad (14th title) ; (2024–25)
Most championships	Al-Hilal (21 titles)
Most appearances	Mohamed Al-Deayea (406)
Top scorer	Majed Abdullah (189)
Broadcaster(s)	Thmanyah
Sponsor(s)	Roshn
Website	spl.com.sa
	Current: 2025–26 Saudi Pro League

The Saudi Pro League (SPL), also known as the Roshn Saudi League (RSL) for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Saudi Arabia and the highest tier of the Saudi football league system. The SPL is regarded as the premier football league in Asia, having the highest ranking among AFC club competitions.

Al-Hilal is the most successful club in the top-tier Saudi football league, amassing a record 21 titles, with their latest triumph in the 2023–24 season. Other prominent clubs, such as Al-Shabab, Al-Ittihad, and Al-Nassr, have contributed significantly to the league's history. Since 2023, the SPL has achieved greater global recognition, fueled by strategic developments under the Saudi Vision 2030 initiative. The nation's Public Investment Fund acquired 75% stakes in four foundational clubs—Al-Ahli, Al-Ittihad, Al-Hilal, and Al-Nassr, investing large amounts of money to bring players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Karim Benzema to the league. These efforts have increased the prominence of the SPL in world football.^[1]^[2]

As of 2025, depending on the nation's AFC club competition coefficient^[3], three teams from Saudi Arabia qualify annually for the AFC Champions League Elite, Asia's top-tier continental club competition^[4] (equivalent in tier to the UEFA Champions League in Europe). The winner of the King's Cup qualifies for the AFC Champions League Two, the second-tier continental competition (equivalent in tier to the UEFA Europa League). If the King's Cup winner has already qualified for the AFC Champions League Elite through their league position, the fourth-placed team in the league qualifies for the AFC Champions League Two instead.

History

Origins (1957–2022)

The origins of the Saudi top division league trace back to the establishment of the His Majesty's League in 1957, which lasted until 1974. It was succeeded by a single transitional season known as the 1974–75 Saudi Categorization League. Following that, the first official season of the Saudi Premier League was the 1976–77 season.

The league operated as a round-robin tournament from its inaugural season until the 1989–90 season. After that, the Saudi Arabian Football Federation merged the league with the King's Cup into a single competition, introducing the Golden Box format. This system featured an end-of-season knockout stage involving the top four teams from the regular league, who competed in semi-finals and a final to determine the national champion.

The round-robin format was reinstated in the 2007–08 season, and the league was rebranded as the Saudi Pro League in 2008. While the Saudi Pro League is a continuation of earlier league formats, its statistics and records are maintained separately, in a manner similar to how the English Premier League is considered distinct from the former Football League First Division.

Following the rebranding to the Saudi Pro League, the competition underwent several sponsorship-driven name changes, reflecting commercial partnerships with various organizations over the years. In addition to commercial titles, the league was also officially named in honor of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a period, recognizing his support and influence in the development of Saudi sports.^[5]

In 2019, the Saudi government, through the General Sports Authority (which was later transformed into the Ministry of Sport), launched the Sports Clubs Support Strategy, allocating over SAR 1.6 billion to improve governance, infrastructure, and fan engagement within the league.^[6]

In 2022, Saudi real estate firm Roshn, owned by the Public Investment Fund, signed the largest title sponsorship in the league’s history: a 5‑year agreement worth SAR 478 million (≈ USD 127 million) that granted Roshn the naming rights. From the 2022–23 season onward, the Saudi Pro League was officially renamed the Roshn Saudi League under this deal.^[7]

Saudi football revolution (2023–)

In June 2023, the Public Investment Fund acquired 75% stakes in four major clubs—Al-Nassr, Al-Hilal, Al-Ittihad, and Al-Ahli—as part of Saudi Vision 2030.^[8] The aim of the initiative is to eliminate club debt, increase market value, and prepare teams for full privatization. The long-term goal is to sell clubs to both domestic and international investors.

The Saudi Pro League underwent a major transformation starting in 2023, following the high-profile signing of Cristiano Ronaldo by Al-Nassr. His move helped attract other global stars, including Neymar, Karim Benzema, Sadio Mané, and N'Golo Kanté, during a record-breaking transfer window in which clubs spent nearly $1 billion acquiring 94 players from Europe’s top leagues.^[9]^[10]

This privatization effort began with Al-Kholood, originally owned by the Ministry of Sport, which became the first Saudi football club to be 100% foreign-owned after being sold to The Harburg Group, led by American businessman Ben Harburg, on 24 July 2025.^[11] Lower-division clubs such as Al-Ansar have also been privatized.

The sweeping reforms have drawn international attention and criticism, with some labeling the moves as sportswashing. In response, Saudis argue the investments are part of a broader effort to grow the sport and diversify the economy.^[12]

League reputation and competitiveness

Initially, the Saudi Pro League was perceived by some observers as a "retirement league" due to the influx of aging stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema. However, the league has since demonstrated ambitions beyond marketing, aiming to become one of the top five leagues in the world. While the SPL has long been among the leading leagues in Asia, recent developments have significantly raised its international profile and competitive standard.

In 2023, several SPL-based players were part of the Ivory Coast squad that won the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. Franck Kessié, Seko Fofana, and Ghislain Konan all played key roles in the tournament while active in the Saudi league. Kessié notably scored the equaliser in the final, a 1–2 comeback win over Nigeria^[13], highlighting the continued international impact of players competing in the SPL.

In addition to veteran players, the league has attracted younger talent, including João Félix.^[14]^[15] Brazilian goalkeeper Bento, and Italian-Argentine striker Mateo Retegui^[16]^[17], signaling a broader strategic direction.

The increasing quality of domestic competition has been reflected in the continued international success of players active in the league. Aymeric Laporte was a central figure in Spain’s victorious run at UEFA Euro 2024, winning the tournament while playing in the Saudi Pro League.^[18] Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo was the top scorer for Portugal during their victorious 2024–25 UEFA Nations League campaign, playing a pivotal role throughout the tournament and scoring in the final. The final was sealed by teammate Rúben Neves, who converted the decisive penalty in the shoot-out to secure the title.^[19] Both players were actively competing in the Saudi Pro League at the time, underscoring its growing competitiveness.

Other Saudi-based players also made notable contributions at Euro 2024, including N'Golo Kanté (France) and Nicolae Stanciu (Romania), further challenging the idea that the league lacks high-level competitiveness.

In 2025, Al-Hilal^[20] defeated Manchester City 4–3 and held Real Madrid^[21] to a 1–1 draw at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, results which drew international attention to the growing competitiveness of Saudi clubs.

Historical Documentation Project

Until the mid-2020s, historical records of Saudi football prior to the establishment of the top-tier league in 1976 were limited and often inconsistent. This lack of comprehensive documentation led to ongoing debates among fans and historians, particularly regarding the achievements and origins of early clubs and regional competitions.^[22]

In response to growing public interest and longstanding criticism, the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) launched a multi-year national initiative to document the pre-1976 era of Saudi football, which began in 2023 and concluded in 2025. The project involved collaboration with local historians, journalists, and individuals who witnessed the sport’s early development. Efforts included reviewing newspaper archives, collecting personal testimonies, and verifying historical records from club documents. The initiative was supported by FIFA and a panel of international experts specializing in sports history and archival research.

As a result of the project’s findings, significant changes were made to the official historical records of Saudi football. The founding date of the Saudi top-tier league was revised from 1976 to 1957, acknowledging earlier league-style competitions that had previously been overlooked or classified differently. In addition, several domestic tournaments—including the King's Cup, Prince Faisal bin Fahd Cup, and early regional or lower-division leagues—were re-evaluated and formally incorporated into the official historical framework. All national cups and competitions from the pre-1976 era were reviewed under the project.

Some King's Cup titles from earlier decades were also reclassified as league titles, based on their structure and competitive format at the time. These revisions led to updates in the official title counts of several clubs, prompting renewed interest in the early history of Saudi football and altering longstanding narratives around club achievements and legacies. The findings were published in a comprehensive final report, which SAFF presented to media and football institutions in 2025.^[23]

Sponsorship

Period	Sponsor	Brand
1957–1974	No sponsor	His Majesty's League^[24]
1974–1975	No sponsor	Saudi Categorization League
1975–2007	No sponsor	Saudi Premier League
2008–2008	No sponsor	Saudi Pro League
2009–2013	Zain	Zain Pro League
2014–2017	Abdul Latif Jameel	Abdul Latif Jameel Pro League^[25]
2018–2021	No sponsor	Saudi Pro League^[26]
2022–present	Roshn	Roshn Saudi League^[27]

Official match ball suppliers

Season(s)	Supplier	Ball Model / Notes
2023–24 (Jan)	Nike	Nike match balls used in all prior seasons until Adidas takeover in Feb 2024^[28]
2023–24 (from Feb)	Adidas	Oceaunz – introduced mid-season following Adidas' partnership launch^[28]
2024–	Adidas	Custom design inspired by wild lavender fields and Saudi tapestries^[29]

Competition format

Competition

As of the 2025–26 season

There are 18 clubs in the Saudi Pro League. During the course of a season (usually from August to May), each club plays every other club twice (a double round-robin system), once at their home stadium and once at their opponent’s, for a total of 34 games. Teams receive three points for a win, one point for a draw, and no points for a loss. Teams are ranked on the league table based on points first, then head-to-head record in case of a tie, followed by goal difference.

Each club is allowed a maximum of 25 players, including up to 10 foreign players. Of these 10 foreign players, 8 can be of any age, and 2 must be under 20 years old at the time of signing. The remaining 15 players must be Saudi nationals, with a maximum of 5 players allowed to come from the youth sector if needed or wanted.

For each league game, managers can select up to 8 foreign players to be included in the matchday squad.

Promotion and relegation

A system of promotion and relegation exists between the Saudi Pro League and Saudi First Division League. The three lowest-placed teams in the Saudi Pro League are relegated to the First Division, in the first division the top two teams are promoted to the Pro League directly, a play-off system^[30] to determine the third team to be promoted alongside the two. Teams placed between third and sixth position take part in the promotion play-offs. The fifth-placed would face the fourth, while the sixth-placed team would face the third. The final would be single-legged, hosted by the higher-placed team.

Current clubs

Al-Hilal
Al-Nassr
Al-Riyadh
Al-Shabab

Locations of teams in the 2025–26 Saudi Pro League

Stadium

Note: Table lists in alphabetical order.

Team	Location	Stadium	Capacity
Al-Ahli	Jeddah	King Abdullah Sports City Stadium Al-Faisal Stadium	60,342 27,000
Al-Ettifaq	Dammam	EGO STADIUM	12,984
Al-Fateh	Al-Mubarraz	Maydan Tamweel Aloula	11,851
Al-Fayha	Majmaah	Majmaah Sports City Stadium	6,843
Al-Hazem	Ar Rass	Al-Hazem Club Stadium	5,100
Al-Hilal	Riyadh	Kingdom Arena	26,090
Al-Ittihad	Jeddah	King Abdullah Sports City Stadium Al-Faisal Stadium	60,342 27,000
Al-Khaleej	Saihat	Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium (Dammam)	22,042
Al-Kholood	Ar Rass	Al-Hazem Club Stadium	5,100
Al-Najma	Unaizah	King Abdullah Sports City Stadium Buraidah	30,180
Al-Nassr	Riyadh	Al-Awwal Park	26,004
Al-Okhdood	Najran	Prince Hathloul bin Abdulaziz Sports City Stadium	12,000
Al-Qadsiah	Khobar	Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium (Dammam)	22,042
Al-Riyadh	Riyadh	SHG Arena	18,063
Al-Shabab	Riyadh	SHG Arena	13,537
Al-Taawoun	Buraidah	King Abdullah Sports City Stadium Buraidah Al-Taawoun Stadium	30,180 5,624
Damac	Khamis Mushait	Damac Club Stadium Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Sports City Stadium (Abha)	3,800 25,000
Neom	Tabuk	King Khalid Sport City Stadium	12,000^[31]

Personnel and kits

Team	Manager	Captain	Kit manufacturer	Main sponsor	Other sponsors
Al-Ahli	Matthias Jaissle	Édouard Mendy	Adidas	Red Sea Global	List Front: Saudi Investment Recycling Company, Neoleap Back: Kayanee, Cenomi Sleeves: None Shorts: None
Al-Ettifaq	Saad Al-Shehri	Georginio Wijnaldum	Adidas	Kammelna	List Front: Aldyar Alarabiya, Hongqi, Tameeni Insurance Back: Procare Riaya Hospital, Innosoft, Enterprise Rent-A-Car Sleeves: Saudi Qaid Transport Company, Direct KSA Shorts: None
Al-Fateh	José Gomes	Mohammed Al-Fuhaid	100°	Theeb Rent A Car	List Front: Riyad Bank, Fuchsia Bakery, Tameeni Insurance Back: Tamweel Aloula Sleeves: Ratio Speciality Coffee Shorts: None
Al-Fayha	Pedro Emanuel	Sami Al-Khaibari	HH Sports	Basic Electronics Company	List Front: Tameeni Insurance Back: Al Romaih Investment Sleeves: Morabaha Marina Financing Company Shorts: None
Al-Hazem	Jalel Kadri	Abdulrahman Al-Dakheel	Right Away Sport	Yelo
Al-Hilal	Simone Inzaghi	Salem Al-Dawsari	Puma	Savvy Games Group	List Front: Jahez, Flynas Back: Riyad Bank, Saudi Entertainment Ventures Sleeves: Tree Digital Insurance Agency, Sanabil Investments Shorts: None
Al-Ittihad	Laurent Blanc	Karim Benzema	Nike	Roshn	List Front: SURJ Sports Investment, Volkswagen, Flow Progressive Logistics Back: Milaf Al Madinah Heritage Sleeves: None Shorts: None
Al-Khaleej	Georgios Donis	Fábio Martins	Laser	Yelo Rent a Car	List Front: Fisher Electronics, Tameeni Insurance, Almana Hospital Back: Shemagh Al Bassam, Florina Shoes, Candy Sleeves: Locate Food Delivery App, Saudi Qaid Transport Company Shorts: Sayyar
Al-Kholood	Des Buckingham	Marcelo Grohe	Renown	Yelo Rent a Car	List Front: Tameeni Insurance Back: Mezaj Maghribhi, Florina Shoes, Elba Cookers Sleeves: Saudi Qaid Transport Company Shorts: None
Al-Najma	Mário Silva	Ziyad Al-Qahtani	Puma	Yelo	List Front: Shahad, Wooden Coffee Back: Sunchine Cars Showroom, Ramz Tea Sleeves: Al Qassim National Hospital Shorts: Raz Amwal
Al-Nassr	Jorge Jesus	Cristiano Ronaldo	Adidas	KAFD	List Front: Syndicate Holding Group, AROYA Cruises, Gathern Back: None Sleeves: Noug, DAZN Shorts: None
Al-Okhdood	Paulo Sérgio	Hussain Al-Zabdani	Skillano	Yelo Rent a Car	List Front: Tameeni Insurance Back: Mezaj Maghribhi Sleeves: Saudi Qaid Transport Company Shorts: None
Al-Qadsiah	Míchel	Nacho	Nike	Aloula Aviation	List Front: Almajdouie Genesis, Almana Hospital Back: iz, Zoho Corporation, Sixt Sleeves: Saudi Geophysical Shorts: Batook Nova
Al-Riyadh	Javier Calleja	Abdullah Al-Khaibri	Black Panther	Science Technology	List Front: Tameeni Insurance Back: Stars Smile Sleeves: None Shorts: None
Al-Shabab	Imanol Alguacil	Yannick Carrasco	Offside	Theeb Rent A Car	List Front: Tameeni Insurance Back: None Sleeves: None Shorts: None
Al-Taawoun	Péricles Chamusca	Aschraf El Mahdioui	Macron	Aldyar Alarabiya	List Front: Gree Electric, Dr Tooth Clinics Back: Al Dahayan Aluminum Panel Factory, Al Saif Trading Agencies Sleeves: Direct KSA, Duvet Mattresses Shorts: None
Damac	Armando Evangelista	Farouk Chafaï	Skillano	Basic Electronics Company	List Front: Osoul Poultry, Tameeni Insurance Back: Tadawi Clinic Sleeves: Saudi Qaid Transport Company, Lateen Water Shorts: None
Neom	Christophe Galtier	Salman Al-Faraj	Puma	None	List Front: None Back: None Sleeves: None Shorts: None

Champions

List of champions^[32]^[33]^[34]

No	Season	Champion	Runners-Up
His Majesty's League 1957–1974
1	1957–58	Al-Wehda	Al-Ittihad
2	1958–59	Al-Ittihad	Al-Wehda
3	1959–60	Al-Ittihad	Al-Wehda
4	1960–61	Al-Ittihad	Al-Wehda
5	1961–62	Al-Hilal	Al-Wehda
6	1962–63	Al-Ahli	Al-Riyadh
7	1963–64	Al-Ittihad	Al-Hilal
8	1964–65	Al-Hilal	Al-Ittihad
9	1965–66	Al-Ahli	Al-Ettifaq
10	1966–67	Not completed
11	1967–68	Not held
12	1968–69	Al-Ahli	Al-Ettifaq
13	1969–70	Cancelled
14	1970–71	Al-Ahli	Al-Wehda
15	1971–72	Al-Ahli	Al-Nassr
16	1972–73	Al-Ahli	Al-Nassr
17	1973–74	Al-Nassr	Al-Ahli
Saudi Categorization League 1974–1975
18	1974–75	Al-Nassr	Al-Hilal
Saudi Premier League 1975–2007
19	1975–76	Cancelled
20	1976–77	Al-Hilal	Al-Nassr
21	1977–78	Al-Ahli	Al-Nassr
22	1978–79	Al-Hilal	Al-Nassr
23	1979–80	Al-Nassr	Al-Hilal
24	1980–81	Al-Nassr	Al-Hilal
25	1981–82	Al-Ittihad	Al-Shabab
26	1982–83	Al-Ettifaq	Al-Hilal
27	1983–84	Al-Ahli	Al-Ittihad
28	1984–85	Al-Hilal	Al-Shabab
29	1985–86	Al-Hilal	Al-Ittihad
30	1986–87	Al-Ettifaq	Al-Hilal
31	1987–88	Al-Hilal	Al-Ettifaq
32	1988–89	Al-Nassr	Al-Shabab
33	1989–90	Al-Hilal	Al-Ahli
34	1990–91	Al-Shabab	Al-Nassr
35	1991–92	Al-Shabab	Al-Ettifaq
36	1992–93	Al-Shabab	Al-Hilal
37	1993–94	Al-Nassr	Al-Riyadh
38	1994–95	Al-Nassr	Al-Hilal
39	1995–96	Al-Hilal	Al-Ahli
40	1996–97	Al-Ittihad	Al-Hilal
41	1997–98	Al-Hilal	Al-Shabab
42	1998–99	Al-Ittihad	Al-Ahli
43	1999–00	Al-Ittihad	Al-Ahli
44	2000–01	Al-Ittihad	Al-Nassr
45	2001–02	Al-Hilal	Al-Ittihad
46	2002–03	Al-Ittihad	Al-Ahli
47	2003–04	Al-Shabab	Al-Ittihad
48	2004–05	Al-Hilal	Al-Shabab
49	2005–06	Al-Shabab	Al-Hilal
50	2006–07	Al-Ittihad	Al-Hilal
Saudi Pro League 2008–present
51	2007–08	Al-Hilal	Al-Ittihad
52	2008–09	Al-Ittihad	Al-Hilal
53	2009–10	Al-Hilal	Al-Ittihad
54	2010–11	Al-Hilal	Al-Ittihad
55	2011–12	Al-Shabab	Al-Ahli
56	2012–13	Al-Fateh	Al-Hilal
57	2013–14	Al-Nassr	Al-Hilal
58	2014–15	Al-Nassr	Al-Ahli
59	2015–16	Al-Ahli	Al-Hilal
60	2016–17	Al-Hilal	Al-Ahli
61	2017–18	Al-Hilal	Al-Ahli
62	2018–19	Al-Nassr	Al-Hilal
63	2019–20	Al-Hilal	Al-Nassr
64	2020–21	Al-Hilal	Al-Shabab
65	2021–22	Al-Hilal	Al-Ittihad
66	2022–23	Al-Ittihad	Al-Nassr
67	2023–24	Al-Hilal	Al-Nassr
68	2024–25	Al-Ittihad	Al-Hilal

Performance by club

Total league titles won (all eras)

#	Club	Winners	Runners-up
1	Al-Hilal	21	16
2	Al-Ittihad	14	13
3	Al-Nassr	10	9
4	Al-Ahli	9	9
5	Al-Shabab	6	4
6	Al-Ettifaq	2	4
7	Al-Fateh	1	0
8	Al-Wehda	1	5
9	Al-Riyadh	0	2

Total titles won by city

Province	City	Number of titles	Clubs
Riyadh Province	Riyadh	37	Al-Hilal (21), Al-Nassr (10), Al-Shabab (6)
Mecca Province	Jeddah	23	Al-Ittihad (14), Al-Ahli (9)
Eastern Province	Dammam	2	Al-Ettifaq (2)
Eastern Province	Al-Mubarraz	1	Al-Fateh (1)
Mecca Province	Mecca	1	Al-Wehda (1)

Performance by league

League	Number of titles
Pro League	Al-Hilal (8), Al-Nassr (3), Al-Ittihad (3), Al-Fateh (1), Al-Ahli (1), Al-Shabab (1)
Premier League	Al-Hilal (11), Al-Ittihad (7), Al-Nassr (5), Al-Shabab (5), Al-Ettifaq (2), Al-Ahli (2)
Categorization League	Al-Nassr (1)
His Majesty's League	Al-Ahli (6), Al-Ittihad (4), Al-Hilal (2), Al-Wehda (1), Al-Nassr (1)

AFC ranking

As of 17 April 2025

Ranking				Member association (L: League, C: Cup, LC: League cup)	Club points								Total	2026–27 Competition
2024–25	2023–24	Mvmt	Region	Member association (L: League, C: Cup, LC: League cup)	2016 (×0.3)	2017 (×0.4)	2018 (×0.5)	2019 (×0.6)	2021 (×0.7)	2022 (×0.8)	2023–24 (×0.9)	2024–25 (×1.0)	Total	Champions League Elite	Champions League Two	Challenge League
1	1	—	W 1	Saudi Arabia (L, C)	9.500	18.600	10.000	26.350	20.950	19.075	27.100	29.292	114.707	3+0	1+0	0
2	2	—	E 1	Japan (L, C, LC)	10.500	21.850	13.850	21.800	17.875	20.088	21.350	26.108	105.801	3+0	1+0	0
3	3	—	E 2	South Korea (L, C)	20.750	9.950	18.350	13.600	22.750	15.800	22.350	14.762	90.982	2+1	1+0	0
4	4	—	W 2	United Arab Emirates (L, C)	18.000	11.350	8.100	7.633	14.400	8.083	25.500	15.900	73.966	2+1	1+0	0
5	5	—	W 3	Qatar (L, C)	22.000	13.400	19.850	15.900	7.300	13.500	8.100	14.451	69.076	2+1	1+0	0
6	6	—	W 4	Iran (L, C)	13.000	16.200	18.850	11.500	14.225	13.250	9.300	13.274	68.907	1+1	1+0	0
7	8	+1	E 3	Thailand (L, C, LC)	1.000	15.050	16.200	5.050	8.500	11.110	8.567	14.875	54.873	2+1	1+0	0
8	7	–1	E 4	China (L, C)	14.750	24.567	16.200	17.350	0.800	0.500	11.900	10.250	54.682	1+1	1+0	0
9	9	—	W 5	Uzbekistan (L, C)	9.750	5.050	9.400	9.000	8.960	10.057	11.250	10.333	49.821	1+0	1+0	0
10	11	+1	E 5	Australia (L, C)	14.000	5.900	7.300	2.600	0.000	7.900	10.593	12.796	40.420	1+0	1+0	0

Saudi Arabian clubs in Asian football

Saudi Arabian clubs have a distinguished history in Asian football, having won a total of 16 titles across continental competitions. This makes Saudi Arabia the most successful country in Asian club football history. The table below provides a summary of these achievements.

Club	AFC Champions League Elite^[35]	Asian Cup Winners' Cup	Asian Super Cup	Clubs Titles
Al-Hilal	4 (1991, 2000, 2019, 2021)	2 (1997, 2002)	2 (1997, 2000)	8
Al-Ittihad	2 (2004, 2005)	1 (1999)	–	3
Al-Nassr	—	1 (1998)	1 (1998)	2
Al-Ahli	1 (2025)	—	—	1
Al-Shabab	—	1 (2001)	—	1
Al-Qadsiah	—	1 (1994)	—	1
Total	7	6	3	16

League participation

As of the 2025–26 season, 40 clubs have participated in the Saudi top division league, with only three clubs — Al-Nassr, Al-Hilal, and Al-Ittihad — never being relegated.

Bold indicates clubs currently competing in the Saudi Pro League.
Note: This count includes only seasons from the inception of the Saudi Premier League to the present day.

League Participation
Seasons	Clubs
49	Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr, Al-Ittihad
48	Al-Shabab, Al-Ahli
46	Al-Ettifaq
40	Al-Wehda
37	Al-Qadsiah
25	Al-Raed, Al-Riyadh, Al-Tai
18	Al-Taawoun
16	Al-Nahda, Al-Fateh
13	Al-Faisaly
11	Al-Najma, Ohod
10	Al-Hazem
9	Al-Ansar, Najran, Al-Khaleej
7	Abha, Al-Shoulla, Damac, Al-Fayha
6	Hajer, Al-Batin
4	Al-Rawdah
3	Al-Kawkab, Al-Jabalain, Al-Orobah
2	Al-Adalah, Sdoos, Al-Watani, Al-Okhdood
1	Al-Arabi, Al-Ain, Al-Kholood, Okaz FC [ar], Neom

Top scorers

All-time top scorers

As of matches played 12 September 2025^[36]^[37]

Bold indicates a player still active in the Pro League.
Note: This count includes only seasons from the inception of the Saudi Categorization League to the present day.

Rank	Player	Goals	Apps	Ratio	First	Last	Club(s)
1	Majed Abdullah	189	194	0.97	1977	1997	Al-Nassr
2	Nasser Al-Shamrani	167	301	0.55	2003	2019	Al-Wehda, Al-Shabab, Al-Hilal, Al-Ittihad
3	Omar Al Somah	154	198	0.78	2014	2025	Al-Ahli, Al-Orobah, Al-Hazem
4	Abderrazak Hamdallah	150	164	0.91	2018	2025	Al-Nassr, Al-Ittihad, Al-Shabab
5	Fahd Al-Hamdan	120	252	0.48	1984	2000	Al-Riyadh
6	Yasser Al-Qahtani	112	206	0.54	2000	2018	Al-Qadsiah, Al-Hilal
7	Mohammad Al-Sahlawi	111	257	0.43	2005	2022	Al-Qadsiah, Al-Nassr, Al-Shabab, Al-Taawoun
8	Sami Al-Jaber	101	268	0.38	1988	2007	Al-Hilal
9	Hamzah Idris	96	–	–	1992	2007	Ohod, Al-Ittihad
10	Obeid Al-Dosari	91	–	–	1996	2005	Al-Wehda, Al-Ahli

Top scorers by season

Season	Nat.	Top scorer(s)	Club(s)	Goals
1974–75		Mohammad S. Abdeli	Al-Nassr	13
1976–77		Nasser Eid	Al-Qadsiah	7
1977–78		Motamad Khojali	Al-Ahli	14
1978–79		Majed Abdullah	Al-Nassr	18
1979–80		Majed Abdullah	Al-Nassr	17
1980–81		Majed Abdullah	Al-Nassr	21
1981–82		Khalid Al-Ma'ajil	Al-Shabab	22
1982–83		Majed Abdullah	Al-Nassr	14
1983–84		Hussam Abu Dawood	Al-Ahli	14
1984–85		Hathal Al-Dosari	Al-Hilal	15
1985–86		Majed Abdullah	Al-Nassr	15
1986–87		Mohammad Suwaidi	Al-Ittihad	17
1987–88		Khalid Al-Ma'ajil	Al-Shabab	12
1988–89		Majed Abdullah	Al-Nassr	19
1989–90		Sami Al-Jaber	Al-Hilal	16
1990–91		Fahd Al-Mehallel	Al-Shabab	20
1991–92		Saeed Al-Owairan	Al-Shabab	16
1992–93		Sami Al-Jaber	Al-Hilal	18
1993–94		Moussa N'Daw	Al-Hilal	15
1994–95		Fahd Al-Hamdan	Al-Riyadh	15
1995–96		Ohene Kennedy	Al-Nassr	14
1996–97		Ahmed Bahja	Al-Ittihad	21
1997–98		Sulaiman Al-Hadaithy	Al-Najma	15
1998–99		Obeid Al-Dosari	Al-Wehda	20
1999–00		Hamzah Idris	Al-Ittihad	33
2000–01		Paulo Silva	Al-Ettifaq	13
2001–02		Sérgio Ricardo	Al-Ittihad	16
2002–03		Carlos Tenorio	Al-Nassr	15
2003–04		Godwin Attram Kandia Traoré	Al-Shabab Al-Hilal	15
2004–05		Mohammed Manga	Al-Shabab	15
2005–06		Essa Al-Mehyani	Al-Wehda	16
2006–07		Godwin Attram	Al-Shabab	13
2007–08		Nasser Al-Shamrani	Al-Shabab	18
2008–09		Hicham Aboucherouane Nasser Al-Shamrani	Al-Ittihad Al-Shabab	12
2009–10		Mohammad Al-Shalhoub	Al-Hilal	12
2010–11		Nasser Al-Shamrani	Al-Shabab	17
2011–12		Victor Simões Nasser Al-Shamrani	Al-Ahli Al-Shabab	21
2012–13		Sebastián Tagliabúe	Al-Shabab	19
2013–14		Nasser Al-Shamrani	Al-Hilal	21
2014–15		Omar Al Somah	Al-Ahli	22
2015–16		Omar Al Somah	Al-Ahli	27
2016–17		Omar Al Somah	Al-Ahli	24
2017–18		Ronnie Fernández	Al-Fayha	13
2018–19		Abderrazak Hamdallah	Al-Nassr	34
2019–20		Abderrazak Hamdallah	Al-Nassr	29
2020–21		Bafétimbi Gomis	Al-Hilal	24
2021–22		Odion Ighalo	Al-Hilal	24
2022–23		Abderrazak Hamdallah	Al-Ittihad	21
2023–24		Cristiano Ronaldo	Al-Nassr	35
2024–25		Cristiano Ronaldo	Al-Nassr	25

Record

SPL Awards

The Saudi Pro League Awards are presented annually to recognize the best performers in the League. The awards were first held for the 2018–19 season but were paused from 2019 to 2023. They resumed partially for the 2023–24 season and have continued in full from the 2024–25 season onward, with all major categories awarded.

Saudi Pro League End-of-Season Awards
Season	Manager of the Season	Player of the Season	Saudi Player of the Season	Young Player of the Season	Golden Glove	Golden Boot	Goal of the Season	Ref.
2018–19	Pedro Emanuel	Abderrazak Hamdallah	Mohamed Kanno	Muteb Al-Mufarrij	Farouk Ben Mustapha	Abderrazak Hamdallah	Award not established	^[38] ^[39] ^[40] ^[41] ^[42] ^[43]
2023–24	Jorge Jesus	Not awarded	Not awarded	Not awarded	Yassine Bounou	Cristiano Ronaldo	Award not established	^[44] ^[45] ^[46]
2024–25	Laurent Blanc	Karim Benzema	Salem Al-Dawsari	Musab Al-Juwayr	Koen Casteels	Cristiano Ronaldo	Cristiano Ronaldo	^[47]

Records

As of the 31th round of the 2024–25 Saudi Pro League

Notable Records in the History of the Saudi Top Division League
Record	Player	Statistic
All-time most appearances	Mohamed Al-Deayea	406
All-time top goalscorer	Majed Abdullah	189
Most top goalscorer awards	Majed Abdullah	6
Most appearances in Pro League history	Mohammed Al-Fuhaid	344
Pro League all-time top goalscorer	Omar Al-Somah	154
Most Pro League golden boots	Nasser Al-Shamrani	5
Most goals in a single season	Cristiano Ronaldo	35
Most assists in Pro League history	Salem Al-Dawsari	55
Most clean sheets in a single season	Marcelo Grohe	18
Most goals in consecutive matches	Abderrazak Hamdallah	14
Most hat-tricks in Pro League history	Abderrazak Hamdallah	11

Broadcasters

As of 23 October 2025

Country	Broadcaster	Ref.
Middle East and North Africa	Thmanyah	^[48]
Unsold markets	YouTube
Afghanistan	BEGIN
Pakistan	BEGIN
Albania	SuperSport
Kosovo	SuperSport
Armenia	Setanta Sports
Azerbaijan
Estonia
Georgia
Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
Latvia
Lithuania
Moldova
Tajikistan
Turkmenistan
Ukraine
Uzbekistan
Australia	10	^[49]
Austria	Sportdigital
Germany
Switzerland
Bangladesh	FanCode
India
Nepal
Sri Lanka
Brazil	Grupo Globo
	Canal GOAT
	Grupo Bandeirantes
Bulgaria	Max Sport
Caribbean	Fox Sports	^[50]
Latin America (exc. Brazil)
United States
China	Star Sports
	Qiukedao
	TikTok
	Zhibo8
Croatia	Sport Klub
Slovenia	Sport Klub
Czech Republic	Strike TV
Slovakia	Strike TV
France	ZackNani
Greece	Cosmote Sport	^[51]
Hungary	Spíler TV	^[52]
Italy	Como TV
Italy	Sportitalia
Japan	SPOTV
Mongolia
Southeast Asia
Taiwan
Poland	Polsat Sport 1
Portugal	Sport TV	^[53]
Romania	Voyo
Russia	Okko
Sub-Saharan Africa	StarTimes Sports	^[54]
	ESPN
	SportyTV
	New World TV
	ZAP
	Azam TV
Spain	Movistar Plus+	^[55]
Turkey	S Sport	^[56]
Turkey	TV8.5	^[56]