Saudi Pro League

Last updated

Saudi Pro League
Roshn Saudi League Logo.svg
Organising body Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF)
Founded(1974;50 years ago (1974) Categorization League) (1976;48 years ago (1976) Premier League) (2008;16 years ago (2008) Pro League)
Country Saudi Arabia
Confederation AFC
Number of clubs18 (since 2023–24)
Level on pyramid 1
Relegation to FD League
Domestic cup(s) King's Cup
Saudi Super Cup
International cup(s) AFC Champions League Elite
AFC Champions League Two [a]
Arab Club Champions Cup
Current champions Al-Hilal (19th title)
(2023–24)
Most championships Al-Hilal (19 titles)
Most appearances Mohamed Al-Deayea (406)
Top goalscorer Majed Abdullah (189)
TV partners Shahid and SSC
Sponsor(s) Roshn
Website spl.com.sa
Current: 2024–25 Saudi Pro League

The Saudi Pro League (SPL), [b] known as the Roshn Saudi League (RSL) [c] for sponsorship reasons, is the highest division of association football in the Saudi league system.

Contents

The first season of competition was the 1976–77 season. [1] The league had been operating as a round-robin tournament from its inaugural season until the 1989–90 season, after that the Saudi Federation decided to merge the football League with the King's Cup in one tournament and the addition of the Golden Box. The Golden Box would be an end of season knockout competition played between the top four teams of the regular league season. These teams would play at a semi-final stage to crown the champions of Saudi Arabia. The league reverted to a round-robin system in the 2007–08 season.

The association is also regularly ranked with the highest coefficient in Asia due to the successful and consistent performances in the AFC Champions League Elite, Asian Super Cup & Asian Cup Winners' Cup by its clubs. Al-Hilal is the most successful team, holding 19 titles in its history and most recently winning the title in 2023–24. Al-Shabab, Al-Ittihad and Al-Nassr are also some of the most successful teams in the league.

Beginning in 2023, the league started experiencing widespread international exposure due to attracting numerous top level players from European leagues through financially lucrative contracts, immediately becoming a star-studded league. The nation's Public Investment Fund took 75% stakes in four founding members (Al-Ahli, Al-Ittihad, Al-Hilal, and Al-Nassr) in the same year as part of the Saudi Vision 2030 program.

History

Up until the late 1950s, football in Saudi Arabia was organized on a regional basis under the Saudi Regional Leagues, with the King's Cup being the only nationwide tournament. In 1957, the first qualification process consolidated the regional tournaments of the Central, West, East, and North regions. Clubs competed in their regional leagues to qualify for the King's Cup, which was the final stage of the competition. The winner of the King's Cup was not the league winner. [2]

In 1974, a one-time league was founded to end the regional leagues and decide which clubs would play in the upcoming Premier and first division leagues, the league was the Categorization League, 1976–77 season saw the start of the first-ever Premier League in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with eight teams, the following season the number of clubs increased to ten. The 1981–82 season saw the merger of both the Saudi Premier League and the Saudi First Division for that season exclusively to the concern of the 1982 FIFA World Cup qualification process. Twenty teams were divided into two groups, A and B. The top two in each group would enter a semi-final stage to determine the overall champions. In the following season which reverted to regular round-robin competition, the number of first-division clubs was later increased to 12 in the 1984–85 season.[ citation needed ]

In December 1990, the Saudi Arabian Football Federation decided to merge the league with the King's Cup in one tournament, it was decided to revamp local competitions and introduce professional football. A new league championship was formed called "The Custodian of The Two Holy Mosques League Cup", which was a two-stage championship. The first stage was a regular double round-robin league competition with the top 4 qualifying for the final knockout stage, called the golden box. Clubs were allowed to sign players on a professional basis making the league semi-professional. This system lasted for seventeen seasons before reverting to a regular round-robin competition. The league became fully professional in 2007, [3] the league has always been the best league in Asia and is nicknamed the Premier League of Asia. 

As of 2024, depending on the nation's coefficient, three teams from Saudi Arabia qualify for the AFC Champions League Elite annually. This includes the top three positions of the league, the winner of the King's Cup qualify for the AFC Champions League Two. If the winner of the King's Cup is also among the top three teams then the fourth-best team qualifies for the AFC Champions League Two.


Saudi Football Revolution (2023)

Cristiano Ronaldo with Al Nassr in 2023 Cristiano Ronaldo with Al Nassr, 19 September 2023 - 85.jpg
Cristiano Ronaldo with Al Nassr in 2023

The Saudi Pro League made international headlines in 2023 due to many players from other leagues, particularly those in Europe, transferring to clubs for the 2023–24 season. A record-breaking transfer window took place ahead of the 202324 season; Saudi Pro League clubs spent close to $1 billion, acquiring 94 overseas players from Europe’s major leagues. These leagues include France’s Ligue 1, Spain’s La Liga, Italy’s Serie A, Germany’s Bundesliga and the English Premier League, according to Deloitte. [4] According to Spanish publication Marca the league has "shaken up the European transfer market". [5]

The nation's Public Investment Fund took 75% stakes in four founding members (Al-Ahli, Al-Ittihad, Al-Hilal, and Al-Nassr) in June 2023 as part of the Saudi Vision 2030 program. [6] These actions have been criticised by many sporting journalists and human rights activists, who have described the transfers as part of a sportswashing scheme by the Saudi government. [7] [8]

Cristiano Ronaldo was the first star signing to the league, with the BBC deeming that he led this "revolution" in Asian football. [9] Upon his move to Al-Hilal, Neymar also credited Ronaldo for the immediate transformation of the league. [10] Other players who joined the league include Ballon d'Or-holder Karim Benzema, N'Golo Kanté, Roberto Firmino, Sergej Milinković-Savić, Sadio Mané, Riyad Mahrez and Jordan Henderson. [7] [11]

Sponsorship

From the 2009–10 season until the 2012–13 season, the league was sponsored by Zain Group and was known as "Zain league", From the 2013–14 season until the 2017–18 season, Abdul Latif Jameel was the sponsor and the league was known as "Jameel league", from the 2018–19 season until the 2021–22 season major restructuring of Saudi football, under which the league's name reverted to the "Saudi Pro League", From the 2022–23 season, for a five-year period, the sponsor of the league is Roshn and the league is known as "Roshn League".

Sponsorship names

(Sources [12] [13] [14] [15] )

Competition format

Competition

As of the 2024–25 Season

There are 18 clubs in the Saudi Pro League. During the course of a season (usually from August to May) each club plays the other clubs twice (a double round-robin system), once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents, for 34 games. Teams receive three points for a win and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss. Teams are ranked by position on the league table depending on points, then the head-to-head record between the tied teams is taken into consideration, and then goal difference, Each club can have a total of 30 players, 10 foreigners. 8 of them can be any age, and 2 must be under 20 at the time of signing. 20 Saudi players 15 of them can be of any age, and 5 can be called up from the youth sector if needed or wanted. For each league game, managers can select 8 of the 10 foreigners to be included in the 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 [16] 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.

Format History

League Format (1974–2007)

In 1974–75, the Saudi football league was known as the Categorization League. This league was introduced to replace the previously existing regional leagues and to determine which teams would play in the Premier League and which would compete in the First Division. The Categorization League had 16 teams, divided into two groups. Only two teams from each group advanced to a decisive final match to determine the champion.

From 1975–76, the league transitioned to a round-robin format during the regular season, where each team played home and away matches against all other teams. The league typically operated with 10 to 12 teams during this period, though the number of teams fluctuated slightly from season to season.

In 1981–82, the league underwent a significant change: it was merged with the First Division to create a single 20-team league for that season. This merger was driven by concerns over World Cup qualifying, as Saudi Arabia sought to strengthen its domestic competition and provide more opportunities for players to develop ahead of international fixtures. After this one-off expansion, the league returned to its usual structure with 10 to 12 teams.

In December 1990, the Saudi Football Federation decided to merge the Saudi Premier League with the King's Cup competition into a unified single tournament. This merger led to the introduction of the playoff system (locally known as the "Golden Box" or "Golden Four"), which would feature the top 4 teams of the regular league season competing in a knockout competition to determine the overall champion. The playoff system served as an end-of-season competition, adding an extra layer of excitement to the league.

In the 1991–92 season, the Saudi Premier League formally implemented the playoff system. The league still used the round-robin format during the regular season, but after that, the top 4 teams advanced to the playoffs, which were held to determine the champion. The playoff system meant that even if a team finished first in the regular season, they still had to win the knockout rounds (including semi-finals and final) to be crowned champion.

League Format (2007–Present)

In 2006–07, the playoff system was still in use, with the top 4 teams advancing to knockout rounds to decide the champion. Al-Ittihad and Al-Hilal finished at the top of the table, but the playoff system decided the final winner. This was the last season the playoff system was used.

In 2007–08, the league switched to the traditional format, where the team finishing first in the regular season was crowned champion, and the playoffs were abolished. This system continued in the Saudi Pro League from 2008–09 onward. Al-Hilal won the title in 2007–08 after finishing tied with Al-Ittihad on 48 points. The title was decided by the head-to-head record, where Al-Hilal had the better result against Al-Ittihad.

In 2008–09, the league was rebranded as the Saudi Pro League [17] (SPL). This rebranding formalized the shift to a traditional system where the top team in the regular season is crowned champion, and the playoffs were abolished. The rebranding also meant that the statistics and titles from the Saudi Premier League (1974–2007) were considered separate from those of the newly established Saudi Pro League. This mirrors the situation in the English Premier League (established in 1992), where records and titles are kept separate from the former Football League First Division.

Following the rebranding, the league underwent significant changes. From 2010–11 to 2017–18, the league expanded to 14 teams, continuing with the round-robin format. Then, from 2018–19 to 2022–23, the league grew again to 16 teams. Finally, in the 2023–24 season, the Saudi Pro League expanded to 18 teams.

Current clubs

Stadiums

Note: Table lists in alphabetical order.
TeamLocationStadiumCapacity
Al-Ahli Jeddah King Abdullah Sports City 62,345
Al-Ettifaq Dammam Al-Ettifaq Club Stadium 15,000 [18]
Al-Fateh Al-Mubarraz Al-Fateh Stadium 12,000 [19]
Al-Fayha Al Majma'ah Al Majma'ah Sports City 7,000
Al-Hilal Riyadh Kingdom Arena 26,000
Al-Ittihad Jeddah King Abdullah Sports City 62,345
Al-Khaleej Dammam (Saihat) Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium 35,000
Al-Kholood Ar Rass Al-Hazem Club Stadium 8,000 [20]
Al-Nassr Riyadh Al-Awwal Park 25,000
Al-Okhdood Najran Prince Hathloul bin Abdul Aziz Sports City 12,000 [21]
Al-Orobah Sakakah Al-Jawf University Stadium 8,500 [22]
Al-Qadsiah Khobar Prince Saud bin Jalawi Stadium 15,000 [23]
Al-Raed Buraidah King Abdullah Sport City Stadium 25,000
Al-Riyadh Riyadh Prince Turki bin Abdul Aziz Stadium 15,000 [24]
Al-Shabab Riyadh Al-Shabab Club Stadium 15,000
Al-Taawoun Buraidah King Abdullah Sport City Stadium 25,000
5,961
Al-Wehda Mecca King Abdul Aziz Stadium 38,000
Damac Khamis Mushait Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Stadium (Abha)
Damac Club Stadium
20,000
5,000

Personnel and kits

TeamManagerCaptainKit manufacturerMain sponsorOther sponsors
Al-Ahli Flag of Germany.svg Matthias Jaissle Flag of Cote d'Ivoire.svg Franck Kessié Adidas Red Sea Global
List
Al-Ettifaq Flag of England.svg Steven Gerrard Flag of the Netherlands.svg Georginio Wijnaldum AdidasKammelna
List
    • Front: Hongqi, Aldyar Alarabiya, Tameeni Insurance
    • Back: Procare Riaya Hospital, Innosoft
    • Sleeves: Saudi Qaid Transport Company, Direct KSA
    • Shorts:None
Al-Fateh Flag of Sweden.svg Jens Gustafsson Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Mohammed Al-Fuhaid 100°Theeb Rent A Car
List
    • Front: Fuchsia Bakery, Tameeni Insurance
    • Back: Tamweel Aloula
    • Sleeves: Ratio Speciality Coffee
    • Shorts:None
Al-Fayha Flag of Greece.svg Christos Kontis Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Sami Al-Khaibari SkillanoBasic Electronics Company
List
    • Front: Tameeni Insurance
    • Back: Al Romaih Investment
    • Sleeves: Morabaha Marina Financing Company
    • Shorts:None
Al-Hilal Flag of Portugal.svg Jorge Jesus Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Salem Al-Dawsari Puma Savvy Games Group
List
Al-Ittihad Flag of France.svg Laurent Blanc Flag of France.svg Karim Benzema Nike Roshn
List
Al-Khaleej Flag of Greece.svg Georgios Donis Flag of Portugal.svg Fábio Martins LaserYelo 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 Flag of Algeria.svg Noureddine Zekri Flag of Brazil.svg Marcelo Grohe RenownYelo Rent a Car
List
    • Front: Tameeni Insurance
    • Back: Mezaj Maghribhi, Florina Shoes, Elba Cookers
    • Sleeves: Saudi Qaid Transport Company
    • Shorts:None
Al-Nassr Flag of Italy.svg Stefano Pioli Flag of Portugal.svg Cristiano Ronaldo Adidas KAFD
List
Al-Okhdood Flag of Croatia.svg Stjepan Tomas Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Hussain Al-ZabdaniSkillanoYelo Rent a Car
List
    • Front: Tameeni Insurance
    • Back: Mezaj Maghribhi
    • Sleeves: Saudi Qaid Transport Company
    • Shorts:None
Al-Orobah Flag of Portugal.svg Álvaro Pacheco Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Hamed Al-Maghati HattrickArrow Modern Future
List
    • Front: Tameeni Insurance
    • Back: Al Jouf Cement
    • Sleeves:None
    • Shorts:None
Al-Qadsiah Flag of Spain.svg Míchel Flag of Spain.svg Nacho Nike Aloula Aviation
List
    • Front: Almajdouie Genesis, Almana Hospital
    • Back:None
    • Sleeves: Saudi Geophysical
    • Shorts:None
Al-Raed Flag of Brazil.svg Odair Hellmann Flag of Morocco.svg Mohamed Fouzair ChallengeDinar Investment
List
    • Front: Tameeni Insurance
    • Back: Al Qassim National Hospital
    • Sleeves: Saudi Qaid Transport Company, Direct KSA
    • Shorts:None
Al-Riyadh Flag of France.svg Sabri Lamouchi Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Abdullah Al-Khaibri Black PantherScience Technology
List
    • Front: Tameeni Insurance
    • Back: Stars Smile
    • Sleeves:None
    • Shorts:None
Al-Shabab Flag of Portugal.svg Vítor Pereira Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Yannick Carrasco OffsideTheeb Rent A Car
List
    • Front: Tameeni Insurance
    • Back:None
    • Sleeves:None
    • Shorts:None
Al-Taawoun Flag of Argentina.svg Rodolfo Arruabarrena Flag of the Netherlands.svg 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
Al-Wehda Flag of Germany.svg Josef Zinnbauer Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Waleed Bakshween OffsideYelo Rent A Car
List
    • Front: Tameeni Insurance
    • Back: Ntam, Makkah Medical Center
    • Sleeves: Saudi Qaid Transport Company
    • Shorts:None
Damac Flag of Romania.svg Cosmin Contra Flag of Algeria.svg Farouk Chafaï SkillanoBasic Electronics Company
List
    • Front: Osoul Poultry, Tameeni Insurance
    • Back: Tadawi Clinic
    • Sleeves: Saudi Qaid Transport Company, Lateen Water
    • Shorts:None

Champions

List of champions

NoSeasonChampionRunners-Up
Categorization League
C 1974–75 Al-Nassr Al-Hilal
Saudi Premier League
1975–76 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
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

Performance by club

#ClubWinnersRunners-up
1 Al-Hilal
19
13
2 Al-Ittihad
9
8
3 Al-Nassr
9
8
4 Al-Shabab
6
6
5 Al-Ahli
3
9
6 Al-Ettifaq
2
3
7 Al-Fateh
1
0
8 Al-Riyadh
0
1

Total titles won by city

CityNumber of titlesClubs
Riyadh
34
Al-Hilal (19), Al-Nassr (9), Al-Shabab (6)
Jeddah
12
Al-Ittihad (9), Al-Ahli (3)
Dammam
2
Al-Ettifaq (2)
Al-Ahsa
1
Al-Fateh (1)

League participation

As of 2024, 39 clubs have participated in the Saudi football top division.

There have only been three clubs that haven’t been relegated,  Al-Nassr, Al-Hilal, Al-Ittihad.

Note: The tallies below include up to the 2024–25 season. Teams denoted in bold are current participants.[ citation needed ]

Top scorers

All-time top scorers

As of matches played 30 November 2024 [25] [26]

Boldface indicates a player still active in the Pro League.

RankPlayerGoalsAppsRatioFirstLastClub(s)
1 Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Majed Abdullah 1891940.9719771997 Al-Nassr
2 Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Nasser Al-Shamrani 1673010.5520032019 Al-Wehda, Al-Shabab, Al-Hilal, Al-Ittihad
3 Flag of Syria.svg Omar Al-Somah 1441800.8020142022 Al-Ahli
4 Flag of Morocco.svg Abderrazak Hamdallah 1351440.9320182024 Al-Nassr, Al-Ittihad, Al-Shabab
5 Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Fahd Al-Hamdan 1202520.4819842000 Al-Riyadh
6 Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Yasser Al-Qahtani 1122060.5420002018 Al-Qadsiah, Al-Hilal
7 Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Mohammad Al-Sahlawi 1112570.4320052022 Al-Qadsiah, Al-Nassr, Al-Shabab, Al-Taawoun
8 Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Sami Al-Jaber 1012680.3819882007 Al-Hilal
9 Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Hamzah Idris 9619922007 Ohod, Al-Ittihad
10 Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Obeid Al-Dosari 9119962005 Al-Wehda, Al-Ahli

Top scorers by season

Saudi Pro League Golden Boot in the Museu CR7. 2023-24 Saudi Pro League Top Scorer Trophy CR7Museum.jpg
Saudi Pro League Golden Boot in the Museu CR7.
SeasonNat.Top scorer(s)Club(s)Goals
1974–75 Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Mohammad S. Abdeli Al-Nassr 13
1976–77 Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Nasser Eid Al-Qadsiah 7
1977–78 Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Motamad Khojali Al-Ahli 14
1978–79 Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Majed Abdullah Al-Nassr 18
1979–80 Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Majed Abdullah Al-Nassr 17
1980–81 Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Majed Abdullah Al-Nassr 21
1981–82 Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Khalid Al-Ma'ajil Al-Shabab 22
1982–83 Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Majed Abdullah Al-Nassr 14
1983–84 Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Hussam Abu Dawood Al-Ahli 14
1984–85 Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Hathal Al-Dosari Al-Hilal 15
1985–86 Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Majed Abdullah Al-Nassr 15
1986–87 Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Mohammad Suwaidi Al-Ittihad 17
1987–88 Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Khalid Al-Ma'ajil Al-Shabab 12
1988–89 Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Majed Abdullah Al-Nassr 19
1989–90 Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Sami Al-Jaber Al-Hilal 16
1990–91 Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Fahad Al-Mehallel Al-Shabab 20
1991–92 Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Saeed Al-Owairan Al-Shabab 16
1992–93 Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Sami Al-Jaber Al-Hilal 18
1993–94 Flag of Senegal.svg Moussa N'Daw Al-Hilal 15
1994–95 Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Fahd Al-Hamdan Al-Riyadh 15
1995–96 Flag of Ghana.svg Ohene Kennedy Al-Nassr 14
1996–97 Flag of Morocco.svg Ahmed Bahja Al-Ittihad 21
1997–98 Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Sulaiman Al-Hadaithy Al-Najma 15
1998–99 Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Obeid Al-Dosari Al-Wehda 20
1999–00 Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Hamzah Idris Al-Ittihad 33
2000–01 Flag of Angola.svg Paulo Silva Al-Ettifaq 13
2001–02 Flag of Brazil.svg Sérgio Ricardo Al-Ittihad 16
2002–03 Flag of Ecuador.svg Carlos Tenorio Al-Nassr 15
2003–04 Flag of Ghana.svg
Flag of Cote d'Ivoire.svg
Godwin Attram
Kandia Traoré
Al-Shabab
Al-Hilal
15
2004–05 Flag of Senegal.svg Mohammed Manga Al-Shabab 15
2005–06 Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Essa Al-Mehyani Al-Wehda 16
2006–07 Flag of Ghana.svg Godwin Attram Al-Shabab 13
2007–08 Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Nasser Al-Shamrani Al-Shabab 18
2008–09 Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg
Flag of Morocco.svg
Nasser Al-Shamrani
Hicham Aboucherouane
Al-Shabab
Al-Ittihad
12
2009–10 Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Mohammad Al-Shalhoub Al-Hilal 12
2010–11 Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Nasser Al-Shamrani Al-Shabab 17
2011–12 Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg
Flag of Brazil.svg
Nasser Al-Shamrani
Victor Simões
Al-Shabab
Al-Ahli
21
2012–13 Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg Sebastián Tagliabúe Al-Shabab 19
2013–14 Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Nasser Al-Shamrani Al-Hilal 21
2014–15 Flag of Syria.svg Omar Al-Somah Al-Ahli 22
2015–16 Flag of Syria.svg Omar Al-Somah Al-Ahli 27
2016–17 Flag of Syria.svg Omar Al-Somah Al-Ahli 24
2017–18 Flag of Chile.svg Ronnie Fernández Al-Fayha 13
2018–19 Flag of Morocco.svg Abderrazak Hamdallah Al-Nassr 34
2019–20 Flag of Morocco.svg Abderrazak Hamdallah Al-Nassr 29
2020–21 Flag of France.svg Bafétimbi Gomis Al-Hilal 24
2021–22 Flag of Nigeria.svg Odion Ighalo Al-Hilal 24
2022–23 Flag of Morocco.svg Abderrazak Hamdallah Al-Ittihad 21
2023–24 Flag of Portugal.svg Cristiano Ronaldo Al-Nassr 35

Players Records

Broadcasters

As of 20 October 2024
CountryBroadcasterRef.
Flag of the Arab League.svg  Middle East and North Africa Shahid (Streaming)
Saudi Sports Company (SSC)
[27]
Flag of Austria.svg  Austria DAZN [28]
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
Flag of Germany.svg  Germany
Flag of Ireland.svg  Ireland
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia 10 Play [29]
Balkans Sport Klub [27]
Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil Paramount+
Canal GOAT
Rede Bandeirantes
Caribbean DSports
South America
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China Bilibili
Migu TV
Tencent
Zhibo8
Flag of France.svg  France Canal+ [30]
Flag of Greece.svg  Greece Cosmote Sport [27]
Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary Spíler TV [31]
Flag of India.svg  India Sony Sports Network [32]
Flag of Italy.svg  Italy La7
Sportitalia
Flag of Israel.svg  Israel Sport 5
Flag of Japan.svg  Japan Abema
Flag of Myanmar.svg  Myanmar Sky Net [33]
Flag of Portugal.svg  Portugal Sport TV [34]
Flag of Romania.svg  Romania Prima Sport [35]
Flag of South Korea.svg  South Korea SPOTV [36]
Flag of Hong Kong.svg  Hong Kong
South East Asia
Sub-Saharan Africa StarTimes Sports [37]
Flag of Spain.svg  Spain Marca.com [38]
Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey S Sport [39]
TV8.5
Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Fox Sports [40]
Flag of Vietnam.svg  Vietnam VieON [41]

Notes

  1. King's Cup Winners or league fourth placed team. If the cup winner finishes in the top 3 in the Saudi Pro League, which means they will go to the AFC Champions League Elite, the slot goes to the fourth placed team in the table
  2. Arabic: دوري المحترفين السعودي; The logo also used "MBS" as an abbreviation for the MBS Pro League (Prince Mohammad Bin Salman Professional League) until the 2021–22 season.
  3. Arabic: دوري روشن السعودي; Dawri Rushan as-Suʿūdī

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Al Hilal SFC</span> Association football club in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Al Hilal Saudi Football Club, simply known as Al Hilal is a professional multi-sports club based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Their football team competes in the Saudi Pro League. In Arabic, Al Hilal means "the crescent moon". Founded on 16 October 1957, Al Hilal are one of three teams to have participated in all seasons of the Saudi Pro League since its establishment in 1976. They are the most decorated club in Asia, winning 70 official trophies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ittihad Club</span> Association football club in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Ittihad Saudi Arabian Club, commonly known as Ittihad is a Saudi professional football club based in Jeddah. It was founded in 1927. The club has spent its entire history in the top flight of football in Saudi Arabia, currently known as the Saudi Pro League. Ittihad has won 50 championships from which 35 are official championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Al Nassr FC</span> Association football club in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Al Nassr Football Club is a professional football club based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The club competes in the Saudi Pro League, the top tier of the Saudi football league System. Al Nassr is one of only three clubs to have participated in every season of the Saudi Pro League since its inception, In addition to football, Al Nassr is a multi-sports club with teams in various sports, including handball, basketball, esports, volleyball, and more, catering to both men and women of all ages.

Taiseer Jaber Al-Jassim is a Saudi Arabian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He was the captain of Al-Ahli Saudi FC and vice-captain of the Saudi Arabia national team. He retired from international football in 2018 and from all levels of football as a player in 2020.

The 2009–10 Saudi Professional League was the 34th season of the Saudi Pro League, the top Saudi professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 1976. The season began on 18 August 2009, and ended on 18 March 2010. Al-Ittihad were the defending champions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Omar Hawsawi</span> Saudi Arabian footballer (born 1985)

Omar Hawsawi is a Saudi Arabian former professional footballer who played as a defender who last played for Al-Nassr and Al-Ittihad. He also represented the Saudi Arabia national team and earned 53 caps between 2013 and 2019. He also participated in the 2018 FIFA World Cup and the 2015 and 2019 editions of the AFC Asian Cup.

The 2013–14 Saudi Crown Prince Cup was the 39th season of the Saudi Crown Prince Cup since its establishment in 1957. This season's competition featured a total of 30 teams, 14 teams from the Pro League, and 16 teams from the First Division. For the first time, the Crown Prince Cup tournament was contested by 30 teams, having been expanded from the 16-team format used since 1991. Under the new format, last season's finalists received a bye to the Round of 16 while the remaining 28 teams entered at the preliminary stage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saudi Super Cup</span> Football tournament

The Saudi Super Cup is an annual super cup football tournament organized by the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, the current edition is known as "The Diriyah Super Cup" for sponsorship reasons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abdullah Al-Mayouf</span> Saudi Arabian footballer (born 1987)

Abdullah Ibrahim Al-Mayouf is a Saudi Arabian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Saudi Professional League club Al-Shabab.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ali Al-Bulaihi</span> Saudi Arabian footballer (born 1991)

Ali Hadi Mohammed Al-Bulaihi is a Saudi who plays as a centre-back for Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal and the Saudi Arabia national team.

The 2016–17 season is the Al-Ittihad Club of Jeddah's 90th in existence and 41st consecutive season in the top flight of Saudi Arabian football. Along with Pro League, the club also competed in the AFC Champions League, Crown Prince Cup and the King Cup.

The 2016–17 season was Al-Nassr Football Club's 62nd in existence and 41st consecutive season in Pro League, the top flight of Saudi Arabian football. Along with Pro League, Al-Nassr competed in the Crown Prince Cup and King Cup.

The 2016–17 season is the Al-Shabab Football Club's 70th season in existence and 38th consecutive season in Pro League, the top flight of Saudi Arabian football. Along with Pro League, Al-Shabab also competed in the Crown Prince Cup and King Cup.

The 2017–18 Saudi Professional League, was the 42nd season of the Saudi Professional League, the top Saudi professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 1976. The season started on 10 August 2017 and concluded on 12 April 2018.

The 2021–22 Saudi Professional League was the 46th edition of the Saudi Professional League, the top Saudi professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 1976. Fixtures for the 2021–22 season were announced on 18 July 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saudi Women's Premier League</span> Woman football league

The Saudi Women's Premier League is the top flight of women's association football in Saudi Arabia.

The 2022–23 Saudi Professional League was the 47th edition of the Saudi Professional League, the top Saudi professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 1976. Fixtures for the first half of the 2022–23 season were announced on 4 August 2022.

The 2022–23 season was Al-Nassr's 47th consecutive season in the top flight of Saudi football and 67th year in existence as a football club. The club participated in the Pro League, the King's Cup, and the Super Cup.

The 2022–23 Saudi Women's Premier League was the inaugural season of the Saudi Women's Premier League which replaced the Saudi Women's National League as the top-level women's football league in Saudi Arabia.

The 2023–24 Saudi Pro League was the 48th edition of the Saudi Professional League, the top Saudi professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 1976. Fixtures for the 2023–24 season were announced on 15 July 2023.

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