Football

Jeddah becomes the epicenter of Asian football as it hosts the groundbreaking AFC Champions League Elite Finals 2025, featuring eight top clubs competing across eight days to determine the continental champion. This season marks a significant overhaul of Asia's premier club competition, with all matches from the quarter-finals onwards staged in one centralized location. Saudi Arabia hosts this mini-tournament featuring three Roshn Saudi League (RSL) sides—Al Hilal, Al Nassr, and Al Ahli—alongside Qatar's Al from the West Zone. The East Zone is represented by Japan's Kawasaki Frontale and Yokohama F. Marinos, South Korea's Gwangju FC, and Thailand's Buriram United. Competition begins Friday, with significant attention on whether RSL clubs can maintain Saudi Arabia's recent continental success, following Al Hilal's championships in 2019 and 2021. RSL champions Al Hilal open the quarter-finals against surprise contender Gwangju FC at Alinma Stadium. Despite […]

The Qassim Derby delivered an unforgettable spectacle as Al Taawoun emerged victorious with a 4-3 win over Al Raed at King Abdullah Sports City on Thursday night, though not without significant drama. Despite falling behind to Amir Sayound's opener midway through the first half, the designated hosts launched a remarkable comeback. Goals from Andrei Girotto (assisted by Faycal Fajr), Roger Martinez, and an Abdullah Al Yousif own goal gave Al Taawoun a commanding lead before halftime. When Waleed Al Ahmad extended their advantage to 4-1 just four minutes into the second half, Mohammed Al Abdali's team appeared to be cruising toward victory and local bragging rights. However, the contest was far from decided. Al Raed, currently sitting at the bottom of the Roshn Saudi League table, demonstrated admirable resilience. Goals from Ayoub Qasmi and Oumar Gonzalez brought them back into […]

A special bond typically exists between footballing brothers - a mixture of love, loyalty, and competitive rivalry, especially when they're twins. This dynamic plays out in the Roshn Saudi League, which has featured multiple brothers and twins sharing the pitch. At Al Qadsiah, Qassem Lajami isn't the only player with a twin competing elsewhere in the league. On Wednesday night in Dammam, Mohammed Abu Al Shamat will face brother Saleh when Al Qadsiah meets Eastern Province rivals Al Khaleej in Matchweek 29. This marks their second confrontation this season, following their Matchweek 12 meeting in late November at the same Prince Mohammed Bin Fahd Stadium. In that encounter, Mohammed claimed bragging rights with a 1-0 victory, though their direct confrontation was brief - the twins shared the pitch for just six minutes before Mohammed was substituted in the 81st minute […]

NEOM Sports Club has secured promotion to next season's Roshn Saudi League following a decisive 3-0 victory against Al Arabi Club in Tabuk on Tuesday night. The ambitious First Division League leaders clinched their place in the 2025-26 RSL with Ahmad Abdu scoring twice and on-loan Olympique Lyon forward Said Benrahma adding the third goal. Celebrating their first-ever promotion to Saudi Arabia's top football tier, NEOM SC's social media channels described the achievement as an "exceptional season." In an official statement, club chairman Meshari Al Mutairi said: "We proudly congratulate all NEOM supporters on this well-deserved promotion. Today marks the beginning of a new phase of hard work as we prepare for the upcoming Roshn Saudi League season, with all its challenges and responsibilities. We remain committed to continuous development and to working together as one team toward greater achievements." […]

Mohammed Al Abdali seized his moment after guiding Al Taawoun to the AFC Champions League Two quarter-finals via a dramatic penalty shootout win against Qatar's Al Wakrah. The caretaker manager, who took over in January following Rodolfo Arruabarrena's dismissal, used his post-game platform to advocate for Saudi coaches who have historically struggled to secure opportunities in the Roshn Saudi League (RSL). "The Saudi people are more than capable to achieve in all fields," Al Abdali declared passionately. "I saw a lot of media outlets showing no confidence in Saudi coaches over the past few days and their abilities." He continued: "My message... is to have some confidence in Saudi coaches. I'm not talking about myself personally. Let's say Mohammed Al Abdali is a bad coach, but not all Saudi coaches are bad, so you have to place some confidence in […]

Al Ittihad midfielder Fabinho praised his team's "champion" spirit after they moved closer to securing the Roshn Saudi League title following a crucial night of action on Monday. The league leaders received a significant boost before their match with Al Ettifaq when second-placed Al Hilal dropped points in a 2-2 draw against Al Shabab in the Riyadh Derby. Al Hilal had recovered from Daniel Podence's early strike to lead 2-1 through goals from Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Salem Al Dawsari, but Mohammed Al Shwirekh's 68th-minute header earned Al Shabab a valuable point. Al Ittihad then took the field knowing victory would extend their lead to six points with just five matches remaining. Despite conceding in the fifth minute when Vitinho's deflected shot beat goalkeeper Mohammed Al Mahasnah, Laurent Blanc's side responded quickly. Six minutes later, Houssem Aouar's corner found Karim Benzema […]

Al Shabab entered this Roshn Saudi League season with considerable optimism after showing promising signs under Portuguese coach Vitor Pereira during the final stretch of the previous campaign. Despite losing Croatia legend Ivan Rakitic, the Riyadh club retained talented Saudi prospect Musab Al Juwayr on loan. They strengthened their roster by signing RSL star Abderrazak Hamdallah, experienced Europeans Wesley Hoedt and Giacomo Bonaventura, and exciting winger Daniel Podence. These additions created what appeared to be a competitive squad. Al Shabab began impressively, securing seven wins and two draws in their opening 13 RSL matches. However, momentum halted when Pereira departed for the English Premier League in mid-December, leaving a significant void in the club's on-field leadership. The club rebounded by appointing former Turkey national team manager Fatih Terim, though adjustment took time. The team alternated between wins and losses for […]

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang delivered a dramatic late winner as Al Qadsiah overcame Al Nassr 2-1 on Friday night, breathing new life into their pursuit of a top-three finish in the Roshn Saudi League. At Prince Mohammed bin Fahd Stadium, the hosts took the lead in the 35th minute when Turki Al Ammar reacted quickly to convert a rebound, putting Al Qadsiah in control against the league's third-placed team. The advantage lasted until the 84th minute when Sadio Mane equalized for Al Nassr, seemingly shifting momentum toward the visitors who appeared poised to maintain their grip on third place and potentially close within five points of league leaders Al Ittihad. However, just three minutes later, Aubameyang rose above two Al Nassr defenders to meet Nahitan Nandez's looped pass with a powerful header that found the back of the net, sending the home […]

Al Ittihad's advantage at the top of the Roshn Saudi League has been reduced to four points following a night of significant developments in the title race on Thursday. Defending champions Al Hilal applied pressure with a commanding 3-0 home win against Al Khaleej earlier in the evening. Captain Salem Al Dawsari found the net twice while Aleksandar Mitrovic added another goal to complete the victory. With their lead shrinking, Al Ittihad then suffered an unexpected 2-0 defeat at Al Fateh. The table-toppers, who had lost just twice in their previous 27 league matches, fell behind in Al Ahsa when Amine Sbai scored after 10 minutes. Matias Vargas extended Al Fateh's advantage midway through the second half. Both teams missed opportunities from the penalty spot during the match. Mourad Batna's attempt at Al Fateh was disallowed after he made contact […]