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football in Saudi Arabia

{{Short description|none}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}

{{Infobox sport overview

| boxwidth = 250

| title = Football in Saudi Arabia

| image = Majed Abdullah in Asia Cup 1984.jpg

| imagesize = 240px

| image_alt =

| caption = Majed Abdullah while winning the 1984 AFC Asian Cup.

| union = SAFF

| country = Saudi Arabia

| sport = Association football

| noncountry =

| teamlabel1 =

| nationalteam = National team
Under-23 national team
Under-20 national team
Under-17 national team
Women's national team

| teamlabel2 =

| repteam =

| nickname = الصقور العربية (as-Suqūr Al-‘Arabiyyah, "Arabian Falcons")
الصقور الخضر (as-Suqūr al-Khoḍur, "The Green Falcons")
الأخضر (al-'Akhḍar, "The Green")

| first = 1957

| registered =

| clubs = 172

| national_list = {{Plainlist|

}}

| club_list = {{Collapsible list|

}}

| intl_list = {{Plainlist|

}}

| match =

| league = 2022–23 in Saudi Arabian football

| countryflag = Saudi Arabia

}}

Football is the most popular sport in Saudi Arabia.{{cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-dorsey/soccer-saudi-arabia-dissent_b_3261581.html |title=James Dorsey: Soccer Emerges as Focal Point of Dissent in Saudi Arabia |work=HuffPost |date=20 May 2013 |access-date=18 January 2014}} Football in Saudi Arabia is governed by the Saudi Arabia Football Federation (SAFF) ({{langx|ar|الاتحاد السعودي لكرة القدم}}). It was founded in 1956.{{cite web |url= https://www.fifa.com/associations/association=ksa/index.html |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070613053941/http://www.fifa.com/associations/association=ksa/index.html |url-status= dead |archive-date= 13 June 2007 |title=Saudi Arabia on FIFA.com |publisher=FIFA |access-date=24 July 2011}} It administers both the club competitions and the national football teams of Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi Arabia Football Federation founder is Prince Abdullah bin Faisal al Saud.

History

=National football team=

File:2018 FIFA World Cup Group A march URU-KSA - Anthems.jpg in Russia]]

The Saudi Arabia national football team ({{langx|ar|منتخب السعودية لكرة القدم}}), is nicknamed as Al-Saqour, which means The Falcons. They are one of the most successful football teams in Asia, winning the Asian Championship three times and qualified to the World Cup six times (1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2018, and 2022).

=Rivalries=

Saudi Arabia has a major rivalry with Iran.{{cn|date=October 2023}}

=League=

The Saudi Pro League is the highest level of competition in the country. until the 1970s, football was organized on a regional basis across Saudi Arabia.{{cite web|last=Jones |first=Rory |url=https://www.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887324266904578456741356678544 |title=Saudi Arabia Seeks to Upgrade Domestic Professional Soccer |work=The Wall Street Journal |date=1 May 2013 |access-date=18 January 2014}}

In the 1976 Saudi Professional League season, with the improvement of transportation links and local football, the league was launched on a national basis. Eight clubs participated in the first season of the tournament.{{cn|date=October 2023}}

In 1981, a decision was made by the Saudi Arabia Football Federation to increase the number of clubs to 18 clubs, 8 of which take part in the first league, with the other 10 competing in the second league.{{cn|date=October 2023}}

In the 1985 season, the number of clubs in the first league was increased to 12.{{cn|date=October 2023}}

In 1990, a league cup was introduced, known as The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques League Cup. It was a two-stage competition, a round-robin and knockout phase. The top four teams (known as the Golden Square) from the round-robin moved to the knock-out phase to compete for the final championship.{{cn|date=October 2023}}

In the 2007–08 season, The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Champions Cup was introduced for the more elite teams to compete for. Eight teams participate, including the top six teams of the first league, the winner of the Crown Prince Cup, and the Prince Faisal Cup.{{cn|date=October 2023}}

{{Main|Exodus of footballers to Saudi Arabia}}

Since 2023, the league started growing through the investment of the Public Investment Fund, mainly in association football.[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jul/26/revealed-saudi-arabia-6bn-spend-on-sportswashing Revealed: Saudi Arabia’s $6bn spend on ‘sportswashing’] World famous football players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema joined the top-flight football league of Saudi Arabia with the help of the Public Investment Fund. Cristiano Ronaldo made an immediate impact on the global following of his club Al-Nassr.

Events hosted

National team

{{main|Saudi Arabia national football team}}

=National ranking=

{{as of|2024|09|19}}, Saudi Arabia is placed 59th in the FIFA World Rankings

=Achievements=

Leagues of Saudi Arabia

As of 2025

;Leagues – Men

Saudi Fourth Division League]]

  • Saudi Reserve league (defunct)

;Leagues – Youth

  • Youth – Premier Division League U-19
  • Youth – First Division League U-19
  • Youngster – Premier Division League U-17
  • Youngster – First Division League U-17
  • Youngster – Premier Division League U-15
  • Youngster – First Division League U-15
  • Youngster – Premier Division League U-13
  • Youngster – First Division League U-13

; Leagues – Women

;Cups – Men

;Cups – Women

;Other - Men

;Other - Women

List of the men Top League champions

valign="top" |

{| class="wikitable"

No

! Season

! Champion

! Runners Up

colspan=4| Saudi Categorization League
C

|1974–75

|Al-Nassr

|Al-Hilal

colspan=4| Saudi Premier League
–

|1975–76

|colspan=4 style="text-align:center;" |Canceled

1

|1976–77

|Al-Hilal

|Al-Nassr

2

|1977–78

|Al-Ahli

|Al-Nassr

3

|1978–79

|Al-Hilal

|Al-Nassr

4

|1979–80

|Al-Nassr

|Al-Hilal

5

|1980–81

|Al-Nassr

|Al-Hilal

6

|1981–82

|Al-Ittihad

|Al-Shabab

7

|1982–83

|Al-Ettifaq

|Al-Hilal

8

|1983–84

|Al-Ahli

|Al-Ittihad

9

|1984–85

|Al-Hilal

|Al-Shabab

10

|1985–86

|Al-Hilal

|Al-Ittihad

11

|1986–87

|Al-Ettifaq

|Al-Hilal

12

|1987–88

|Al-Hilal

|Al-Ettifaq

13

|1988–89

|Al-Nassr

|Al-Shabab

14

|1989–90

|Al-Hilal

|Al-Ahli

15

|1990–91

|Al-Shabab

|Al-Nassr

16

|1991–92

|Al-Shabab

|Al-Ettifaq

17

|1992–93

|Al-Shabab

|Al-Hilal

18

|1993–94

|Al-Nassr

|Al-Riyadh

19

|1994–95

|Al-Nassr

|Al-Hilal

20

|1995–96

|Al-Hilal

|Al-Ahli

21

|1996–97

|Al-Ittihad

|Al-Hilal

22

|1997–98

|Al-Hilal

|Al-Shabab

23

|1998–99

|Al-Ittihad

|Al-Ahli

24

|1999–00

|Al-Ittihad

|Al-Ahli

25

|2000–01

|Al-Ittihad

|Al-Nassr

26

|2001–02

|Al-Hilal

|Al-Ittihad

27

|2002–03

|Al-Ittihad

|Al-Ahli

28

|2003–04

|Al-Shabab

|Al-Ittihad

29

|2004–05

|Al-Hilal

|Al-Shabab

30

|2005–06

|Al-Shabab

|Al-Hilal

31

|2006–07

|Al-Ittihad

|Al-Hilal

32

|2007–08

|Al-Hilal

|Al-Ittihad

colspan=4| Saudi Pro League
33

|2008–09

|Al-Ittihad

|Al-Hilal

34

|2009–10

|Al-Hilal

|Al-Ittihad

35

|2010–11

|Al-Hilal

|Al-Ittihad

36

|2011–12

|Al-Shabab

|Al-Ahli

37

|2012–13

|Al-Fateh

|Al-Hilal

38

|2013–14

|Al-Nassr

|Al-Hilal

39

|2014–15

|Al-Nassr

|Al-Ahli

40

|2015–16

|Al-Ahli

|Al-Hilal

41

|2016–17

|Al-Hilal

|Al-Ahli

42

|2017–18

|Al-Hilal

|Al-Ahli

43

|2018–19

|Al-Nassr

|Al-Hilal

44

|2019–20

|Al-Hilal

|Al-Nassr

45

|2020–21

|Al-Hilal

|Al-Shabab

46

|2021–22

|Al-Hilal

|Al-Ittihad

47

|2022–23

|Al-Ittihad

|Al-Nassr

48

|2023–24

|Al-Hilal

|Al-Nassr

|}

Stadiums

{{main|List of football stadiums in Saudi Arabia}}

Best Player of Asia award

{{main|Asian Footballer of the Year}}

class="wikitable"
Year

! Player

! Club

1994Saeed Al-OwairanAl-Shabab
2000Nawaf Al-TemyatAl-Hilal
2005Hamad Al-MontashariAl-Ittihad
2007Yasser Al-QahtaniAl-Hilal
2014Nasser Al-ShamraniAl-Hilal
2022

|Salem Al-Dawsari

|Al Hilal

League system

{{main|Saudi football league system}}

The Saudi Arabia football association football league system is organized in a pyramidal shape similar to football league systems in many other countries. The principle of promotion and relegation binds the leagues.

Women's football

{{main|Women's football in Saudi Arabia}}

Women's football is played in Saudi Arabia, but only in the affluent areas, as the country's very restrictive laws (especially those concerning women) inhibit the practice of the sport.{{cite magazine|last=Templin |first=Jacob |url=https://world.time.com/2012/08/07/the-secret-life-of-a-saudi-womens-soccer-team/ |title=Video: The Secret Life of a Saudi Women's Soccer Team |magazine=Time |date=7 August 2012 |access-date=20 September 2012}}{{cite web|last=Wagner |first=Rob L. |url=http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=233486 |title=Women's soccer making headway in Saudi Arabia |work=The Jerusalem Post |access-date=20 September 2012}} In February 2020, Saudi Arabia launched a football league for women.{{cite web|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/02/25/football/saudi-arabia-football-league-women-rights-intl/index.html|title=Saudi Arabia launches a soccer league for women|publisher=CNN|date=27 February 2020}}

Academies

In July 2020, the Saudi ministry of sport announced the establishment of Mahd Sports Academy, a sports academy which aims to scout, help, and train Saudi talent in various sports, including football.{{cite news |last=Hilton |first=Tommy |date=2020-07-28 |title= Saudi Arabia announces new Mahd Sports Academy with Jose Mourinho, FIFA chief |url=https://english.alarabiya.net/sports/2020/07/28/Saudi-Arabia-announces-new-Mahd-Sports-Academy-with-Jose-Mourinho-FIFA-chief |work=Al Arabiya English |location= |access-date=2024-04-21}} Once complete, the academy will be one of the largest in the world.{{cite news |author= |date=2020-07-28 |title=Saudi Arabia unveils ambitious Mahd Sports Academy |url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/other-sport/saudi-arabia-unveils-ambitious-mahd-sports-academy-1.1055584 |work=The National News |location= |access-date=2024-04-21}}

Saudi Arabia football privatization

In November 2016, the government of Saudi Arabia approved plans to turn state-owned sports clubs into private companies.{{cite web|url=http://www.arabnews.com/node/1014331/sports|title=Privatization of sports clubs welcomed to bring quality shift in Saudi sports|date=23 November 2016|access-date=21 September 2018}} This is part of the economic reforms to reduce Saudi reliance on oil exports and ease financial burdens on the government.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/may/16/saudi-arabia-reduce-reliance-oil-vision-2030|title=Saudi Arabia's attempt to reduce reliance on oil has the world rapt|first=Mohamed A.|last=El-Erian|date=16 May 2016|website=The Guardian|access-date=21 September 2018}}

See also

References

{{Reflist}}

{{Football in Saudi Arabia}}

{{Football in Asia}}

{{Portal|Saudi Arabia}}

Category:Sports governing bodies in Saudi Arabia