The Saudi League kicks off today

The Saudi Professional League, known as the Roshn Saudi League, kicks off today for the 2026-2027 sports season with three matches in the opening round, marking the start of a new campaign in which 18 clubs will compete for the title and top positions. The league features three newly promoted teams: Abha, Al-Faisaly, and Diriyah.

The opening round begins with Abha facing Al-Hazm at the King Sultan bin Abdulaziz Sports City stadium in Abha. Abha starts the new season following their return to the Saudi Pro League after winning the First Division title last season.

In the second match, Al-Shabab takes on Al-Qadsiah at the SHG Arena in Riyadh. Al-Qadsiah harbors high ambitions for the new season, having been elevated to the top tier in the Saudi Professional League Clubs Association’s classification, alongside Al-Nassr, Al-Hilal, Al-Ahli, Al-Ittihad, and Al-Shabab.

The day’s fixtures conclude with Diriyah, one of the newcomers to the Saudi Pro League, hosting Al-Ahli at the First Park stadium in Riyadh. This match draws particular attention as it marks Diriyah’s first competitive test since achieving promotion to the Saudi Pro League for the first time in the club’s history. Al-Ahli enters the contest with ambitions of challenging for the top spots and aims to avoid any surprises against the newly promoted side.

The new edition of the league features 18 teams, with competitions spanning 34 rounds and a total of 306 matches distributed throughout the season, which will run until May 2027.

The opening round continues on Friday and Saturday. On Friday, Neom faces Al-Fayha, Al-Ittihad plays Al-Riyadh, and Al-Hilal takes on Al-Faisaly. Saturday’s matches include Al-Taawoun versus Al-Gharafa, Al-Ittihad against Al-Kholood, and Al-Nassr launching their title defense by hosting Al-Fateh.