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Here you can find the latest predictions for the SPL. The SPL matches consists of 20 fixtures. We have predictions for each one of the fixtures. Our top 5 match predictions for the SPL are:
- For Al-Qadsiah vs Al Fateh we think the match will end with a score 3 - 1.
- For Al Kholood vs Al Ittihad we think that Al Kholood will win.
- For Al Shabab vs Al Ittifaq we think the match will end with a score 1 - 1.
- For Al Riyadh vs Al Kholood we think that Al Kholood will win.
- For Al Ittihad vs Al Taawon we think the match will end with a score 1 - 2.
Just a day before 2022 came to an end, all football enthusiasts in Saudi Arabia were treated to stunning news – Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the biggest and most popular footballers ever, had officially joined a Saudi Arabian team, Al Nassr FC. The news was not only significant in that Saudi Arabian football fans now had the opportunity to see Ronaldo up close during local matches. Rather, and more importantly, it put Saudi Arabia football on the global map.
Such was the influence of Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Al Nassr FC that soon afterwards, several matches from the local Saudi Pro League began to be televised in various corners of the world. Moreover, when the season ended, the transfer window saw many other big names from the top European leagues complete transfers to join Saudi Arabia football clubs. Today, the league is one of the most followed by football enthusiasts from all over the world.
To all those who want to get a better and deeper understanding of the Saudi Pro League, this article will come in handy. Perhaps, for those who don’t already have a Saudi Pro League team to support, by the time they complete reading this article, they will have found a new team to support!
Brief Background
The Saudi Pro League is the highest division of association football in the Saudi league system. In full, the league is known as the Saudi Professional League, while for sponsorship reasons, it’s known as the Roshn Saudi League (RSL). Like most other things in this life, the Saudi Pro League has a rich history. Below we are going to highlight the major strategic junctures of the league’s origins.
- Pre-1950s: Football in Saudi Arabia pre-1950s was organised and played on a regional basis. The only instance of a nationwide football competition was the King’s Cup. Participation in the King’s Cup was a privilege only awarded to the winners of the regional tournaments.
- 1957 to 1976: During this period, there was a move to consolidate the regional tournaments (Central, West, East and North). However, the regional organising committees still reigned supreme, and the King’s Cup was the only true instance of a nationwide football tournament.
- 1976: 1976 is the year that the regional organising committees came together to create a nationwide football league consisting of eight teams. The league used the round-robin format
- 1977: The national football league saw it’s participating teams increase from eight to ten
- 1981-82: For one season, 1981/82 only, the football authorities in Saudi Arabia agreed to merge the Saudi Premier League (the then-highest division of association football in the country) and the Saudi First Division (the then-second-highest division of association football). The twenty teams from both leagues were grouped into two categories. The top two teams from each category would then meet in the semi-final, and the winners proceeded to the final to determine the league winner. The reasoning behind the major was to give the national team selectors a wide array of selection options ahead of the upcoming 1982 FIFA World Cup
- 1984-85: The number of participating teams in the league increased to 12
- 1990: Football was professionalised in Saudi Arabia in 1990 with the merging of the league and the King’s Cup. The new championship, which was founded, was dubbed “The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques League Cup”. the championship comprised two stages. First was the double round-robin competition played by all top league teams. The top four teams would then qualify for the second stage, the Golden Box. It was at this time that clubs were allowed to sign players professionally
- 2007 to Present Day: In 2007, the league reverted to the double round-robin format for the entirety of the season. The King Cup became a stand-alone competition.
*Starting in 2022, the league is being sponsored by Roshn, a real estate division of the Public Investment Fund (PIF). For a five-year period, PIF has committed to investing $620 billion in the Saudi Pro League and is the chief reason behind the mega-money deals that Saudi Pro League teams are doing, which include, of course, the purchase of Cristiano Ronaldo.
League Format
From 2007 up to the present day, the Saudi Pro League uses the double round-robin format. The league has 18 teams that participate every season. During each season, each team will play two matches against the same opponent – one match at home and the other at the opposing team’s home ground. Each team, therefore, plays a total of 30 games every season.
For each match, the winning team receives 3 points, while no points are awarded to the losing team. When two teams end their match in a draw, they both receive 1 point. On the log standings, teams are ranked according to the points they have accumulated. The first tiebreaker for teams that are level on points is the head-to-head record, and the second tiebreaker is the goal difference.
Promotion and Relegation
The football divisions in Saudi Arabia operate on an open-cycle basis. This, therefore, means that every season, some teams are promoted and others relegated. The team that finishes the season with the highest number of points automatically wins the title as well as automatic entry to next season’s AFC Champions League. The second-placed and third-placed team on the log standing as well as the winner of the King Cup, also get automatic entries to next season’s AFC Champions League. If the winner of the King Cup finished among the first three log-standing positions, then the fourth team on the table will qualify for the AFC Champions League.
The three teams which anchor the log standings will be relegated to the First Division, while the top three teams from the First Division will get promoted to the Saudi Pro League.
Season Schedule
The Saudi Pro League normally runs from August to May. During the off-season break – June to August – the transfer window will be open; hence teams can transfer players in or out.
Most Successful Teams in Saudi Pro League
- Al-Hilal 18-time league winners and 15 times runners-up
- Al-Ittihad 9-time league winners and 8 times runners-up
- Al-Nassr 9-time league winners and 7 times runners-up
- Al-Shabab 6-time league winners and 6 times runners-up
- Al-Ahli 3-time league winners and 9 times runners-up
- Al-Ettifaq 2-time league winners and 2 times runners-up
- Al-Fateh 1-time league winner
- Al-Riyadh` 1-time runners-up
Saudi Pro League Key Facts
- League Level: 1st Tier
- Asia League Ranking: 2nd (behind Japan)
- World League Ranking: 58th
- Number of Teams: 18 teams
- Percentage of Foreign Players: 24.3%
- Most Valuable Players: Ruben Neves (40 million pounds)
- Most Appearances: Mohammed Al-Deayea (406)
- Most Goals: Majed Abdullah (189)