History of Saudi Pro League in Timeline

The Saudi Pro League (SPL), officially known as the Roshn Saudi League (RSL) due to sponsorship, is the top-tier professional football league in Saudi Arabia. It is considered the leading football league in Asia based on its ranking within the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) club competitions.

1957: Revision of Founding Date

As a result of the SAFF documentation project, in 1957 the founding date of the Saudi top-tier league was revised from 1976 to 1957, acknowledging earlier league-style competitions.

1957: Establishment of His Majesty's League

In 1957, His Majesty's League was established, marking the origins of the Saudi top division league.

1974: End of His Majesty's League

In 1974, His Majesty's League ended and was succeeded by the 1974–75 Saudi Categorization League, a transitional season.

1976: SAFF Project Findings

As a result of the project's findings, significant changes were made to the official historical records of Saudi football in 1976. All national cups and competitions from the pre-1976 era were reviewed under the project.

1976: First Official Season of Saudi Premier League

The first official season of the Saudi Premier League began in 1976–77, marking a new era for top-tier football in Saudi Arabia.

1976: Limited Historical Records Before 1976

Until the mid-2020s, historical records of Saudi football prior to the establishment of the top-tier league in 1976 were limited and often inconsistent, leading to debates among fans and historians.

1989: Merger with King's Cup and Introduction of Golden Box Format

In 1989, the Saudi Arabian Football Federation merged the league with the King's Cup into a single competition, introducing the Golden Box format. This system featured an end-of-season knockout stage involving the top four teams from the regular league, who competed in semi-finals and a final to determine the national champion.

2007: Reinstatement of Round-Robin Format

In the 2007–08 season, the round-robin format was reinstated in the Saudi top division league.

2008: Rebranding as Saudi Pro League

In 2008, the league was rebranded as the Saudi Pro League, maintaining separate statistics and records from earlier league formats.

2018: Inaugural Saudi Pro League Awards

The Saudi Pro League Awards were first held for the 2018–19 season.

2019: Launch of Sports Clubs Support Strategy

In 2019, the Saudi government, through the General Sports Authority, launched the Sports Clubs Support Strategy, allocating over SAR 1.6 billion to improve governance, infrastructure, and fan engagement within the league.

2019: Pause of Saudi Pro League Awards

The Saudi Pro League Awards were paused from 2019 to 2023.

2022: Roshn Becomes Title Sponsor

In 2022, Saudi real estate firm Roshn signed a 5-year agreement worth SAR 478 million (≈ USD 127 million) for the naming rights, officially renaming the league the Roshn Saudi League from the 2022–23 season onward.

June 2023: Public Investment Fund Acquires Stakes in Major Clubs

In June 2023, the Public Investment Fund acquired 75% stakes in four major clubs—Al-Nassr, Al-Hilal, Al-Ittihad, and Al-Ahli—as part of Saudi Vision 2030, aiming to eliminate club debt, increase market value, and prepare teams for full privatization.

2023: SPL Players Contribute to Ivory Coast's AFCON Victory

In 2023, several SPL-based players, including Franck Kessié, Seko Fofana, and Ghislain Konan, were part of the Ivory Coast squad that won the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. Kessié notably scored the equaliser in the final.

2023: SAFF Launches Initiative to Document Pre-1976 Era

In 2023, the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) launched a multi-year national initiative to document the pre-1976 era of Saudi football, collaborating with historians, journalists, and individuals to review archives, collect testimonies, and verify historical records.

2023: SPL Gains Global Recognition

In 2023, the Saudi Pro League (SPL) gained greater global recognition, driven by strategic developments aligned with Saudi Vision 2030. The Public Investment Fund acquired 75% stakes in Al-Ahli, Al-Ittihad, Al-Hilal, and Al-Nassr, investing significantly to attract players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, and Karim Benzema, enhancing the league's prominence in world football.

2023: Major Transformation of Saudi Pro League

Starting in 2023, the Saudi Pro League underwent a major transformation following Cristiano Ronaldo's signing by Al-Nassr. This move attracted other global stars, including Neymar, Karim Benzema, Sadio Mané, and N'Golo Kanté, leading to a record-breaking transfer window with clubs spending nearly $1 billion to acquire 94 players from Europe's top leagues.

2023: Partial Resumption of Saudi Pro League Awards

The Saudi Pro League Awards resumed partially for the 2023–24 season.

2024: Saudi Pro League Players Shine at UEFA Euro 2024 and UEFA Nations League

In 2024, Aymeric Laporte was a central figure in Spain's victorious run at UEFA Euro 2024. Also in 2024-2025, Cristiano Ronaldo was the top scorer for Portugal during their victorious 2024–25 UEFA Nations League campaign, with Rúben Neves scoring the decisive penalty in the final.

2024: Other Saudi-Based Players Contribute at Euro 2024

In 2024, N'Golo Kanté (France) and Nicolae Stanciu (Romania) were some of the other Saudi-based players that also made notable contributions at Euro 2024.

2024: Full Resumption of Saudi Pro League Awards

The Saudi Pro League Awards have continued in full from the 2024–25 season onward, with all major categories awarded.

July 2025: Al-Kholood Becomes First Foreign-Owned Saudi Football Club

On July 24, 2025, Al-Kholood, originally owned by the Ministry of Sport, became the first Saudi football club to be 100% foreign-owned after being sold to The Harburg Group, led by American businessman Ben Harburg.

2025: AFC Champions League Qualification

As of 2025, three teams from Saudi Arabia qualify annually for the AFC Champions League Elite, Asia's top-tier continental club competition. The King's Cup winner qualifies for the AFC Champions League Two, or the fourth-placed team in the league if the King's Cup winner has already qualified for the AFC Champions League Elite.

2025: 40 Clubs Have Participated in the League

As of the 2025–26 season, 40 clubs have participated in the Saudi top division league, with only three clubs — Al-Nassr, Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad — never being relegated.

2025: Al-Hilal's Performance at the FIFA Club World Cup

In 2025, Al-Hilal defeated Manchester City 4–3 and held Real Madrid to a 1–1 draw at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, showcasing the growing competitiveness of Saudi clubs.

2025: Publication of Final Report and Reclassification of Titles

In 2025, the SAFF presented to media and football institutions a comprehensive final report on the pre-1976 era of Saudi football, which led to the reclassification of some King's Cup titles from earlier decades as league titles, based on their structure and competitive format at the time.