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Top division association football league in Saudi Arabia From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.
| |
| Organising body | Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) |
|---|---|
| Founded | (1974 Categorization League) (1976 Premier League) (2008 Pro League) |
| Country | Saudi Arabia |
| Confederation | AFC |
| Number of teams | 18 (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 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.
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.
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 2023–24 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]
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".
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.
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.
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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.
| Team | Manager | Captain | Kit manufacturer | Main sponsor | Other sponsors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al-Ahli |  Matthias Jaissle |
 Franck Kessié |
Adidas | Red Sea Global | List
|
| Al-Ettifaq |  Steven Gerrard |
 Georginio Wijnaldum |
Adidas | Kammelna | List
|
| Al-Fateh |  Jens Gustafsson |
 Mohammed Al-Fuhaid |
100° | Theeb Rent A Car | List
|
| Al-Fayha |  Christos Kontis |
Sami Al-Khaibari |
Skillano | Basic Electronics Company | List
|
| Al-Hilal |  Jorge Jesus |
Salem Al-Dawsari |
Puma | Savvy Games Group | List
|
| Al-Ittihad |  Laurent Blanc |
Karim Benzema |
Nike | Roshn | List
|
| Al-Khaleej | Georgios Donis |
Fábio Martins |
Laser | Yelo Rent a Car | List
|
| Al-Kholood | Paulo Duarte |
 Marcelo Grohe |
Renown | Yelo Rent a Car | List
|
| Al-Nassr |  Stefano Pioli |
Cristiano Ronaldo |
Adidas | KAFD | List
|
| Al-Okhdood |  Stjepan Tomas |
Hussain Al-Zabdani |
Skillano | Yelo Rent a Car | List
|
| Al-Orobah | Álvaro Pacheco |
Hamed Al-Maghati |
Hattrick | Arrow Modern Future | List
|
| Al-Qadsiah |  Míchel |
Nacho |
Nike | Aloula Aviation | List
|
| Al-Raed | Odair Hellmann |
 Mohamed Fouzair |
Challenge | Dinar Investment | List
|
| Al-Riyadh | Sabri Lamouchi |
Abdullah Al-Khaibri |
Black Panther | Science Technology | List
|
| Al-Shabab | Vítor Pereira |
 Yannick Carrasco |
Offside | Theeb Rent A Car | List
|
| Al-Taawoun |  Rodolfo Arruabarrena |
Aschraf El Mahdioui |
Macron | Aldyar Alarabiya | List
|
| Al-Wehda | Josef Zinnbauer |
Waleed Bakshween |
Offside | Yelo Rent A Car | List
|
| Damac |  Cosmin Contra |
 Farouk Chafaï |
Skillano | Basic Electronics Company | List
|
| # | Club | Winners | Runners-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 |
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]
Boldface indicates a player still active in the Pro League.
| 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 |
144 | 180 | 0.80 | 2014 | 2022 | Al-Ahli |
| 4 | Abderrazak Hamdallah |
134 | 144 | 0.93 | 2018 | 2024 | 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 |
| 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 Tagliabué | 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 |
| Country | Broadcaster | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
 Middle East and North Africa |
Shahid (Streaming) Saudi Sports Company (SSC) |
[27] |
 Austria |
DAZN | [28] |
| Belgium | ||
 Canada | ||
| Germany | ||
 Ireland | ||
 United Kingdom | ||
 Australia |
10 Play | [29] |
| Balkans | Sport Klub | [27] |
| Brazil |
Paramount+ | |
| Canal GOAT | ||
| Rede Bandeirantes | ||
| Caribbean | DSports | |
| South America | ||
 China |
Bilibili Migu TV Tencent Zhibo8 | |
| France |
Canal+ | [30] |
| Greece |
Cosmote Sport | [27] |
 Hungary |
Spíler TV | [31] |
 India |
Sony Sports Network | [32] |
| Italy |
La7 | |
| Sportitalia | ||
 Israel |
Sport 5 | |
 Japan |
Abema | |
 Myanmar |
Sky Net | [33] |
| Portugal |
Sport TV | [34] |
| Romania |
Prima Sport | [35] |
 South Korea |
SPOTV | [36] |
 Hong Kong | ||
| South East Asia | ||
| Sub-Saharan Africa | StarTimes Sports | [37] |
| Spain |
Marca.com | [38] |
 Turkey |
S Sport | [39] |
| TV8.5 | ||
 United States |
Fox Sports | [40] |
 Vietnam |
VieON | [41] |
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