Saudi Football Action Continues with 77 Matches In the Weekend

2026-09-10
14:00:21

Football action continues across the Kingdom this weekend with 77 matches spanning 11 competitions, as matches will be hosted at 57 venues across 26 cities, marking a continuation of the 2026–2027 sports season and reflecting the expanded calendar of domestic competitions across various categories.
These matches follow the launch of the new season's youth competitions—initiated by the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) in early September, as part of a system designed to develop talent, raise competitive standards, and provide players with increased playing time and valuable competitive experience.
The weekend’s lineup includes the Saudi Pro League (Roshn Saudi League), the Saudi Women’s Premier League, and the Saudi Premier Leagues for the U-18, U-17, U-16, and U-15 age groups, in addition to the First Division leagues for the U-18, U-17, U-16, and U-15 categories, as well as the U-17 Girls' Premier League.
Youth competitions began in stages last week, starting with the U-15 and U-17 Premier Leagues and the U-17 First Division, followed by the launch of the U-16 and U-18 Premier Leagues and the First Division leagues for other age groups.
Each youth Premier League competition features 18 teams. These leagues serve as a cornerstone of the Federation’s system for scouting and developing players, preparing them for higher levels of competition and, ultimately, the national teams. The expansion of the youth competition base is not limited to traditional clubs; the age-group competition ecosystem is seeing an increasing presence of academies and private clubs. This is evident, for instance, in the U-15 First Division League, which features teams like the Ajyal Academy alongside traditional clubs, thereby broadening participation beyond the top-tier club structure.
This diversity provides a wider talent-scouting base and intensifies competition for rankings and opportunities and enables players from academies and private clubs to participate in organized, official matches, enhancing their prospects of advancing to higher levels and creating multiple career pathways from an early age.
This complements the expansion of grassroots and youth development competitions, as the current season has seen the registration of over 3,200 teams and 40,000 players across 54 cities and governorates, as a result 34,000 matches are scheduled across seven age categories—Under-5, 7, 9, 11, 12, 13, and 14—with competitions set to kick off on October 13.
The distribution of weekend matches across 26 cities and 57 stadiums reflects the vast scope of Saudi competitions and highlights the transformation of football activity into a weekly nationwide movement, spanning everything from professional leagues to women’s football and youth categories.
These matches are supported by comprehensive organizational and operational efforts involving over 90 referees and match commissioners, alongside dedicated match-day staff and support teams—all coming together for a week featuring 77 matches across 11 competitions and seven different age groups.
This initiative aligns with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation’s drive to broaden the participation base, increase the number of matches, and enhance the quality of competition, in order to create a more diverse environment for talent, strengthening the pathway for their discovery and development as they progress toward professional levels and national team representation.