Saudi Arabia Football Teams: Complete Guide to Pro League, First Division League & Women’s Premier League Teams (2025)

While football in Saudi Arabia has been a prominent presence for years now, it is only recently that the country has shifted to a new gear that has allowed the sport to make massive strides within the country. From chants to banners, everything about watching a game at a stadium is electrifying. While football in Saudi Arabia used to be one of many highlights of the city, it has now evolved to be a global identity of the Kingdom.
From the revolutionary approaches of Saudi Arabia football teams like Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal to considering a new vision by the Saudi football league system, there are many reasons why football in the country has seen new heights in recent years. Thanks to massive investments and the arrival of some of the world's best players, the football teams in Saudi Arabia now compete with each other in the top division on a higher level. Both the men’s and women’s football clubs in Saudi Arabia have adapted to a higher level of football, thanks to strong governance of the Saudi football pyramid.

Saudi Arabia Football Clubs - History and Evolution of Football Clubs in Saudi Arabia

Unlike the big leagues in Europe, the sport in the country started getting attention for the very first time back in the 1950s when the city-based Saudi Arabia football clubs started to form. In 1976, the Saudi Pro League, was officially launched. This was the first step towards better organisation of club football. 

As time went on, we started to see the rise of Saudi Arabia football teams like Al-Hilal, Al-Ittihad, Al-Nassr, and others. The country slowly started taking football to new heights, and sitting at 2025, they are one of the most competitive football leagues in the world, especially after the influx of huge foreign talent since 2010. One of the biggest reasons behind the evolution of Football clubs in Saudi Arabia is the backing of the public investment fund. As of now, the SPL is one of the biggest leagues in the world in terms of star power and viewership.

Saudi Football League System

Even though the world is already accustomed to the big Saudi Arabia football teams, they are yet to understand how football works across different divisions in the country. Firstly, the Saudi football league system is managed by SAFF, or the Saudi Arabian Football Federation. It is a hierarchical system that governs with traditional promotions and relegation across different levels. Both the Saudi Pro League clubs at the top level and other clubs across different competitions are under this system.

Saudi Football Pyramid

The SPL or Saudi Pro League sits at the top of the Saudi Football pyramid. As of right now, there are three teams that get promoted/relegated between the Pro League and the First Division League. There are also a Second Division league, which, as of now, features two groups that comprise 16 Saudi Arabia football clubs each. Moreover, in 2021, the Third Division League was announced by SAFF. In here, there are four groups, each comprising eight teams. To put it simply:

• Saudi Pro League: 18 clubs with 3 relegation spots.
• Saudi First Division League: 18 clubs with 2 promotion spots and 4 promotion play-off spots, along with 3 relegation spots.
• Saudi Second Division League: 16 clubs each in 2 groups with 2 promotion spots and 2 promotion play-off spots, along with 4 relegation spots.
• Saudi Third Division League: 32 teams divided into 4 groups.

However, the format is a little different when it comes to the Saudi Arabia football teams in Women’s football:

• Saudi Women’s Premier League: 10 teams
• Saudi Women’s First Division League: 10 teams
• Saudi Women’s Second Division League: 25 teams divided into 5 groups.

Most Successful Saudi Football Teams

Ever since the rise of football popularity in the country, there have been many Saudi Clubs that have gotten worldwide recognition as the successful clubs in the country. However, there are very few Saudi Teams that have not only gotten to the top but also managed to stay there:

Saudi Pro League Teams

When it comes to the Saudi Pro League clubs, the competition is fierce among all the participants. It has been this way since its inception back in 1976. The Saudi Pro League represents the pinnacle of Saudi football. While the football at the most elite league in Saudi Arabia was on its way with steady growth, with the arrival of the likes of Karim Benzema, Neymar, as well as one of the greatest players of all time, Cristiano Ronaldo and other mega stars, the football clubs in Saudi Arabia and the competitions across the country saw a new height in terms of prestige and visibility.

So, these are the Saudi Pro League teams, who are known as the most elite in the country. The promoted clubs from the Saudi first division last season are included and adjusted in the table above.

Saudi First Division League Teams

The Saudi First Division League is also known as the second-tier competition. It includes a total of 18 clubs. It follows a promotion and relegation system. Now that you are aware of the Saudi Pro League clubs, let us have a look at the Saudi First Division league teams:

Saudi Women’s Premier League Teams

While there have been many Saudi football clubs that have been successful in men’s football, women’s football in Saudi Arabia also sees tough competition among Saudi Arabian football clubs. Let us take a look at the Saudi football clubs in the Saudi Women’s Premier League: