Saudi Pro League facts for kids
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| Organising body | Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) |
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| Founded | 1956
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| Country | Saudi Arabia |
| Confederation | AFC |
| Number of teams | 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 (10th title) (2024–25) |
| Most championships | Al-Hilal (19 titles) |
| Most appearances | Mohamed Al-Deayea (406) |
| Top goalscorer | Majed Abdullah (189) |
| TV partners | Thmanyah |
The Saudi Pro League (SPL), also known as the Roshn Saudi League for sponsorship reasons, is the top professional association football league in Saudi Arabia. It's like the main football championship in the country. Many people think the SPL is the best football league in Asia.
The league started a long time ago, in 1956, as the His Majesty's League. Over the years, it changed names and rules. In 1974, it became the Saudi Categorization League for one season, and then the Saudi Premier League in 1976. In 2008, it was officially renamed the Saudi Pro League.
Teams like Al-Hilal, Al-Ittihad, Al-Nassr, and Al-Shabab are some of the most famous and successful clubs in the league's history. Al-Hilal has won the most titles, with 19 championships, including the latest one in the 2023–24 season.
Since 2023, the Saudi Pro League has become much more famous around the world. This happened because Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund invested a lot of money into four big clubs: Al-Ahli, Al-Ittihad, Al-Hilal, and Al-Nassr. This investment helped these clubs bring in many famous international players, like Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, and Karim Benzema. These big-name players have made the SPL a league that football fans everywhere are watching!
Contents
- History of Saudi Football
- League Sponsors
- Official Match Balls
- How the Competition Works
- Current Clubs and Stadiums
- League Champions
- Saudi Clubs in Asian Football
- League Participation Records
- Top Scorers in the League
- SPL Awards
- League Records
- Where to Watch the Games
- More About Saudi Football
- See also
History of Saudi Football
Before the late 1950s, football in Saudi Arabia was mostly played in regional leagues. The King's Cup was the only competition that included teams from all over the country. In 1957, a system was set up where regional winners would play in the King's Cup.
In 1974, a special league called the Categorization League was created. Its goal was to decide which teams would play in the new Premier League and which would go to the First Division. The first official Premier League season started in 1976–77 with eight teams. The number of teams grew to ten the next season.
For a short time in 1981–82, the Premier League and First Division merged into one big league with 20 teams. This was done to help Saudi Arabia prepare for the 1982 FIFA World Cup qualification matches. After that, the league went back to its usual size.
In 1990, the Saudi Arabian Football Federation changed the league again. They combined the league with the King's Cup. The top four teams at the end of the regular season would play in a knockout tournament called the "Golden Box" to decide the champion. This system made the league semi-professional, meaning players could sign professional contracts. This "Golden Box" system was used for 17 seasons.
In 2007, the league became fully professional. Then, in 2007–08, it went back to the traditional system where the team with the most points at the end of the season wins the championship, and the "Golden Box" playoffs were removed. The league was officially rebranded as the Saudi Pro League in 2008.
Big Changes in 2023
The Saudi Pro League became very famous worldwide in 2023. This happened because many top football players, especially from European leagues, moved to Saudi clubs for the 2023–24 season. Saudi Pro League clubs spent almost $1 billion to bring in 94 international players.
This big change was part of a plan called Saudi Vision 2030. In June 2023, the Public Investment Fund, which is a big investment group in Saudi Arabia, bought 75% of four major clubs: Al-Ahli, Al-Ittihad, Al-Hilal, and Al-Nassr. This investment helped the league grow and attract global talent.
Cristiano Ronaldo was one of the first huge stars to join the league, moving to Al Nassr. Many people say he started this "revolution" in Asian football. Other famous players who joined include Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema, N'Golo Kanté, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mané, and Riyad Mahrez. These moves have made the Saudi Pro League a major league in world football.
League Sponsors
The Saudi Pro League has had different sponsors over the years. A sponsor is a company that gives money to the league, and in return, the league often uses the company's name.
| Period | Sponsor | Brand |
|---|---|---|
| 1956–1974 | No sponsor | His Majesty's League |
| 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 |
| 2018–2021 | No sponsor | Saudi Pro League |
| 2022–present | Roshn | Roshn Saudi League |
Official Match Balls
The Saudi Pro League uses different companies to supply its official match balls.
| Season(s) | Supplier | Ball Model / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| –2023–24 (Jan) | Nike | Nike match balls used in all prior seasons until Adidas takeover in Feb 2024 |
| 2023–24 (from Feb) | Adidas | Oceaunz – introduced mid-season following Adidas' partnership launch |
| 2024–25 | Adidas | Custom design inspired by wild lavender fields and Saudi tapestries |
| 2025–26 | Adidas | TBA – expected to maintain cultural and sustainability themes |
How the Competition Works
League Season Rules
There are 18 clubs in the Saudi Pro League. A season usually runs from August to May. Each club plays every other club twice: once at their home stadium and once at the opponent's stadium. This means each team plays a total of 34 games.
- Teams get three points for a win.
- They get one point for a draw (a tie).
- They get no points for a loss.
Teams are ranked on the league table first by how many points they have. If teams have the same number of points, their head-to-head record (how they played against each other) is used to decide who is higher. After that, goal difference (how many goals they scored minus how many they let in) is used.
Each club can have up to 25 players on their team. Up to 10 of these players can be from other countries (foreign players). Out of these 10, 8 can be any age, and 2 must be under 20 years old when they join. The other 15 players must be Saudi nationals. For each game, teams can have up to 8 foreign players in their squad.
Moving Up and Down Leagues
There is a system where teams can move between the Saudi Pro League and the Saudi First Division League. This is called promotion and relegation.
- The three teams that finish at the bottom of the Saudi Pro League table are moved down (relegated) to the First Division.
- From the First Division, the top two teams are moved up (promoted) directly to the Pro League.
- A special play-off system decides the third team to be promoted. Teams finishing from third to sixth place in the First Division play against each other to earn that spot.
Current Clubs and Stadiums
Here are the teams playing in the Saudi Pro League and their home stadiums:
| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Al-Ahli | Jeddah | King Abdullah Sports City | 62,345 |
| Al-Ettifaq | Dammam | Al-Ettifaq Club Stadium | 15,000 |
| Al-Fateh | Al-Mubarraz | Al-Fateh Stadium | 12,000 |
| Al-Fayha | Al-Majma'ah | Al-Majma'ah Sports City Stadium | 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 |
| Al-Nassr | Riyadh | Al-Awwal Park | 25,000 |
| Al-Okhdood | Najran | Prince Hathloul bin Abdul Aziz Sports City | 12,000 |
| Al-Orobah | Sakakah | Al-Jouf University Stadium | 8,500 |
| Al-Qadsiah | Khobar | Prince Saud bin Jalawi Stadium | 15,000 |
| Al-Raed | Buraidah | King Abdullah Sport City Stadium | 25,000 |
| Al-Riyadh | Riyadh | Prince Turki bin Abdul Aziz Stadium | 15,000 |
| Al-Shabab | Riyadh | Al-Shabab Club Stadium | 15,000 |
| Al-Taawoun | Buraidah | King Abdullah Sport City Stadium Al-Taawoun Club Stadium |
25,000 5,961 |
| Al-Wehda | Mecca | King Abdulaziz Sports City Stadium | 38,000 |
| Damac | Khamis Mushait | Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Stadium (Abha) Damac Club Stadium |
20,000 5,000 |
League Champions
Who Won the Titles?
Here's a list of the teams that have won the Saudi top division league over the years.
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Total Titles by Club
This table shows how many times each club has won the league championship.
| # | Club | Winners | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Al-Hilal |
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| 2 | Al-Ittihad |
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| 3 | Al-Nassr |
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| 4 | Al-Shabab |
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| 5 | Al-Ahli |
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| 6 | Al-Ettifaq |
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| 7 | Al-Fateh |
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Total Titles by City
Here's a look at which cities have the most league titles.
| Province | City | Number of titles | Clubs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riyadh Province | Riyadh |
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Al-Hilal (21), Al-Nassr (10), Al-Shabab (6) |
| Mecca Province | Jeddah |
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Al-Ittihad (13), Al-Ahli (9) |
| Eastern Province | Dammam |
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Al-Ettifaq (2) |
| Eastern Province | Al-Mubarraz |
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Al-Fateh (1) |
Saudi Clubs in Asian Football
Saudi Arabian clubs have done very well in football competitions across Asia. They have won a total of 16 titles, making Saudi Arabia the most successful country in Asian club football history!
| Club | AFC Champions League Elite | Asian Cup Winners' Cup | Asian Super Cup | Clubs Titles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al-Hilal | 4 (1991, 2000, 2019, 2021) | 2 (1997, 2002) | 2 (1997, 2000) |
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| Al-Ittihad | 2 (2004, 2005) | 1 (1999) | – |
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| Al-Nassr | — | 1 (1998) | 1 (1998) |
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| Al-Ahli | 1 (2025) | — | — |
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| Al-Shabab | — | 1 (2001) | — |
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| Al-Qadsiah | — | 1 (1994) | — |
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7 | 6 | 3 |
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League Participation Records
Since the Saudi Premier League started, 39 different clubs have played in the top division. Only three clubs have never been moved down to a lower league: Al-Nassr, Al-Hilal, and Al-Ittihad.
- Bold means the club is currently playing in the Saudi Pro League.
- This list counts seasons from the very beginning of the Saudi Premier League until now.
| 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 |
Top Scorers in the League
All-Time Top Scorers
These are the players who have scored the most goals in the history of the Saudi top division league.
- Bold means the player is still playing in the Pro League.
- This list includes goals from the Saudi Categorization League until now.
| 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 |
155 | 197 | 0.79 | 2014 | 2025 | Al-Ahli, Al-Orobah |
| 4 |  Abderrazak Hamdallah |
150 | 163 | 0.92 | 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 Each Season
This table shows who scored the most goals in each season of the league. The player who scores the most goals wins the "Golden Boot" award.
| 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 | |
Fahad 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 | |
Nasser Al-Shamrani Hicham Aboucherouane |
Al-Shabab Al-Ittihad |
12 |
| 2009–10 | |
Mohammad Al-Shalhoub | Al-Hilal | 12 |
| 2010–11 | |
Nasser Al-Shamrani | Al-Shabab | 17 |
| 2011–12 | |
Nasser Al-Shamrani Victor Simões |
Al-Shabab Al-Ahli |
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 gives out awards every year to celebrate the best players and managers. These awards started in the 2018–19 season.
| 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 | |
| 2023–24 | Jorge Jesus |
Not awarded | Not awarded | Not awarded | Yassine Bounou |
Cristiano Ronaldo |
Award not established | |
| 2024–25 | Laurent Blanc |
Karim Benzema |
Salem Al-Dawsari |
Musab Al-Juwayr |
 Koen Casteels |
Cristiano Ronaldo |
Cristiano Ronaldo |
League Records
Here are some interesting records from the Saudi top division league.
| Record | Player | Statistic |
|---|---|---|
| All-time most appearances | Mohamed Al-Deayea |
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| All-time top goalscorer | Majed Abdullah |
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| Most top goalscorer awards | Majed Abdullah |
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| Most appearances in Pro League history | Mohammed Al-Fuhaid |
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| Pro League all-time top goalscorer | Omar Al-Somah |
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| Most Pro League golden boots | Nasser Al-Shamrani |
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| Most goals in a single season | Cristiano Ronaldo |
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| Most assists in Pro League history | Salem Al-Dawsari |
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| Most clean sheets in a single season | Marcelo Grohe |
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| Most clean sheets in Pro League history by a foreign goalkeeper | Marcelo Grohe |
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| Most goals in consecutive matches | Abderrazak Hamdallah |
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| Most hat-tricks in Pro League history | Abderrazak Hamdallah |
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Where to Watch the Games
Here are some of the TV channels and streaming services that show Saudi Pro League games around the world.
| Country | Broadcaster | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
 Middle East and North Africa |
Thmanyah | |
 Austria |
DAZN | |
 Belgium |
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 Canada |
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 Germany |
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 Ireland |
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 United Kingdom |
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 Australia |
10 Play | |
| Balkans | Sport Klub | |
| Brazil |
Paramount+ | |
| Canal GOAT | ||
| Rede Bandeirantes | ||
| Caribbean | Winner Sports
Fox Sports |
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 China |
Bilibili Migu TV Tencent Zhibo8 |
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 France |
Canal+ | |
 Greece |
Cosmote Sport | |
 Hungary |
Spíler TV | |
 India |
Sony Sports Network | |
 Italy |
La7 | |
| Sportitalia | ||
 Myanmar |
Sky Net | |
 Portugal |
Sport TV | |
 Romania |
Prima Sport | |
 South Korea |
SPOTV | |
 Hong Kong |
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 Japan |
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| South East Asia | ||
| Sub-Saharan Africa | StarTimes Sports | |
 Spain |
Marca.com | |
 Turkey |
S Sport | |
| TV8.5 | ||
 United States |
Fox Sports | |
 Vietnam |
VieON |
More About Saudi Football
- Saudi Arabian Football Federation
- Football in Saudi Arabia
- List of football clubs in Saudi Arabia
- King's Cup
- Saudi Super Cup
- Saudi Women's Premier League
See also
In Spanish: Liga Profesional Saudí para niños
