2025–26 Saudi First Division League

First Division League
Season2025–26
Dates11 September 2025 – 23 May 2026
2026–27 →
All statistics correct as of 12 August 2025.

The 2025–26 First Division League (known as the Yelo League for sponsorship reasons) is the fifth season of the Saudi First Division League after its rebrand, and the 49th season of the Saudi First Division since its establishment in 1976. The season is scheduled to start on 11 September 2025 and conclude with the play-off finals on 23 May 2026.[1]

Overview

Changes

On 29 May 2024, the SAFF announced that foreign goalkeepers would not be allowed to play in the First Division League starting from the 2025–26 season.[2]

Team changes

The following teams have changed division since the 2024–25 season.

Teams

A total of 18 teams will be contesting the league, including 12 sides from the 2024–25 season, the three promoted teams from the Second Division and the three relegated sides from the Saudi Pro League.

Al-Raed were the first team to be relegated following a 1–0 defeat away to Damac on 11 May 2025.[3] Al-Raed were relegated after 17 consecutive seasons in the flight. On 25 May 2025, Al-Orobah became the second team to be relegated after they were docked three points for fielding an ineligible player against Al-Nassr.[4] Al-Orobah were relegated after one season in the top flight. Al-Wehda were the third and final club to be relegated, following a 2–1 away defeat to Al-Ettifaq on the final matchday.[5] Al-Wehda were relegated after three seasons in the top flight. Al-Raed will play in their 17th season in the FD League, while Al-Orobah will play in their 16th season and Al-Wehda in their 10th season.

The first club to be promoted was Al-Diriyah who did so after a 1–0 away win against Jerash on 10 February 2025.[6] On 14 March 2025, Al-Ula became the second club to be promoted following a 6–0 away win against Bisha.[7] The third and final club to be promoted was Al-Anwar, who did so after defeating Al-Jeel 3–1 on penalties (1–1 after extra time) in the promotion play-off final.[8]

Al-Diriyah were crowned champions for the second time after defeating Al-Ula 1–0 in the final.[9]

Al-Diriyah return to the First Division League after an absence of three years. They return to the league for the first time since the 2021–22 season and will play in their 6th overall season. Both Al-Anwar and Al-Ula were promoted to the First Division League for the first time in history.

Stadium and locations

Locations of teams in the 2025–26 First Division League
Note: Table lists in alphabetical order.
Team Location Stadium Capacity
Abha Abha Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Stadium
Damac Club Stadium (Khamis Mushait) 		20,000[10]
5,000
Al-Adalah Al-Hasa (Al-Hulaylah) Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Stadium
Hajer Club Stadium 		26,000[11]
12,000
Al-Anwar Hotat Bani Tamim Al-Anwar Club Stadium
Al-Shoulla Club Stadium (Al-Kharj) 		8,000[12]
8,000
Al-Arabi Unaizah Department of Education Stadium 10,000[13]
Al-Batin Hafar al-Batin Al-Batin Club Stadium 6,000[14]
Al-Bukiryah Al Bukayriyah Al-Bukiryah Club Stadium 5,000[15]
Al-Diriyah Diriyah Prince Turki bin Abdul Aziz Stadium (Riyadh) 15,000[16]
Al-Faisaly Harmah Al Majma'ah Sports City (Al Majma'ah) 7,000
Al-Jabalain Ha'il Prince Abdul Aziz bin Musa'ed Stadium 12,250[17]
Al-Jandal Dumat al-Jandal Al-Jouf University Stadium (Sakakah) 8,500[18]
Al-Jubail Jubail Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz Stadium (Qatif)
Prince Saud bin Jalawi Stadium (Khobar) 		12,000[19]
15,000[20]
Al-Orobah Sakakah Al-Jouf University Stadium
Al-Orobah Club Stadium 		8,500
7,000[21]
Al-Raed Buraidah Al-Raed Club Stadium
King Abdullah Sports City Stadium 		5,000
25,000
Al-Tai Ha'il Prince Abdul Aziz bin Musa'ed Stadium 12,000
Al-Ula al-Ula Prince Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz Sports City (Medina) 24,000[22]
Al-Wehda Mecca King Abdulaziz Sports City 38,000
Al-Zulfi Al Zulfi Al-Zulfi Club Stadium 3,080[23]
Jeddah Jeddah Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium
Sports Hall at King Abdullah Sports City 		27,000
1,000

Personnel and kits

Team Manager Captain Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor
Abha Croatia Damir Burić Saudi Arabia Zakaria Sami Offside Yelo
Al-Adalah Tunisia Mohamed Ayari Saudi Arabia Abdullah Al-Yousef Al-Adalah Yelo
Al-Anwar Portugal David Patrício Saudi Arabia Faisal Al-Mujalli Terio Yelo
Al-Arabi Spain Kiko López Saudi Arabia Wesam Wahib RightAway Sport Naqi Water, Yelo
Al-Batin France Grégory Dufrennes TBA Hattrick Yelo, Almaali Hospital2
Al-Bukiryah Uruguay Leonardo Ramos Netherlands Hicham Faik RightAway Sport Yelo, Rassin
Al-Diriyah France Sabri Lamouchi Saudi Arabia Waleed Abdullah Macron Yelo, Rassin
Al-Faisaly Italy Giovanni Solinas Saudi Arabia Yassin Barnawi Adidas Aldrees, Yelo
Al-Jabalain Portugal Ricardo Chéu Saudi Arabia Abdullah Al-Harbi Offside Abar, Yelo
Al-Jandal Serbia Zoran Milinković Saudi Arabia Hammad Al-Shartan Skillano Yelo
Al-Jubail Portugal Pedro Rodrigues Saudi Arabia Salman Al-Moasher RightAway Sport Yelo
Al-Orobah North Macedonia Slavche Vojneski Saudi Arabia Rafea Al-Ruwaili Offside Yelo
Al-Raed Portugal Jorge Mendonça Saudi Arabia Mohammed Al-Dossari Challenge Yelo
Al-Tai Spain Carlos Inarejos Saudi Arabia Ibrahim Al-Nakhli Duneus Abar, Yelo
Al-Ula Tunisia Youssef Mannai Saudi Arabia Mohammed Al-Owais Kappa
Al-Wehda TBA Saudi Arabia Waleed Bakshween Offside Yelo
Al-Zulfi Saudi Arabia Khalid Al-Koroni Saudi Arabia Salman Al-Saeed Skillano Yelo
Jeddah Brazil Robertinho Saudi Arabia Faisal Abu Bakr Skillano Yelo
  • 1 On the back of the strip.
  • 2 On the right sleeve of the strip.
  • 3 On the shorts.

Managerial changes

Team Outgoing manager Manner of
departure 		Date of vacancy Position in table Incoming manager Date of
appointment
Abha Tunisia Abderrazek Chebbi End of contract 1 June 2025 Pre-season Croatia Damir Burić 1 August 2025[24]
Al-Adalah Slovakia Martin Ševela Tunisia Mohamed Ayari 3 August 2025[25]
Al-Batin Saudi Arabia Khalil Al-Masri France Grégory Dufrennes 3 August 2025[26]
Al-Diriyah Portugal Fabiano Flora France Sabri Lamouchi 20 July 2025[27]
Al-Faisaly Spain Pablo Franco Italy Giovanni Solinas 27 July 2025[28]
Al-Jabalain Portugal Jorge Mendonça Portugal Ricardo Chéu 11 August 2025[29]
Al-Jandal Saudi Arabia Ziyad Al-Afar Serbia Zoran Milinković 5 August 2025[30]
Al-Jubail Saudi Arabia Khalid Al-Nuaimi Portugal Pedro Rodrigues 10 August 2025[31]
Al-Orobah Spain Antonio Cazorla North Macedonia Slavche Vojneski 1 August 2025[32]
Al-Raed Croatia Krešimir Režić Portugal Jorge Mendonça 12 July 2025
Al-Tai Croatia Zdravko Logarušić Spain Carlos Inarejos 14 July 2025[33]
Al-Wehda Uruguay José Daniel Carreño
Jeddah Spain Iván Carrasco Brazil Robertinho 13 August 2025[34]
Al-Anwar Saudi Arabia Sultan Khamis Resigned 25 July 2025[35] Portugal David Patrício 25 July 2025[36]

Foreign players

The number of foreign players is limited to 5 players per team.

  • Players name in bold indicates the player is registered during the mid-season transfer window.
  • Players in italics were out of the squad or left the club within the season, after the pre-season transfer window, or in the mid-season transfer window, and at least had one appearance.
Club Player 1 Player 2 Player 3 Player 4 Player 5 Unregistered players Former players
Abha Brazil Muralha Curaçao Juriën Gaari Portugal Afonso Taira Tunisia Ahmed Jafeli Zambia Evans Kangwa Ivory Coast Lamine N'dao
Nigeria Godspower Aniefiok
Al-Adalah Morocco Amine Atouchi Nigeria Anthony Okpotu
Al-Anwar Brazil Marlon Brazil Raykar Brazil Tiago Bezerra Cameroon Appolinaire Kack Ivory Coast Guillaume Daho Brazil Alyson Romeu
Al-Arabi Armenia Solomon Udo Brazil Reinaldo Dutra Brazil Sheldon Brazil Vinícius Araújo Ecuador Néicer Acosta
Al-Batin Morocco Ayman Berouas
Al-Bukiryah Argentina Fernando Piñero Australia Connor Pain Costa Rica Jonathan Moya Guinea Ousmane Barry Netherlands Hicham Faik
Al-Diriyah Cameroon Georges-Kévin Nkoudou France Gaëtan Laborde The Gambia Omar Colley Mali Moussa Marega Spain Agi Dambelley
Al-Faisaly Brazil Morato Brazil Raphael Silva Moldova Henrique Luvannor Senegal Abdoulaye Ba Senegal Moussa Djitté
Al-Jabalain Colombia Juanjo Narváez Portugal Diogo Queirós
Al-Jandal France Thibault Peyre Ivory Coast Cheick Comara Morocco Ayoub Lakhdar Portugal Emanuel Novo
Al-Jubail
Al-Orobah Ivory Coast Aboubacar Doumbia Netherlands Anass Najah
Al-Raed Algeria Yousri Bouzok Cameroon Oumar Gonzalez Liberia Solomon Tweh Morocco Mohamed Fouzair
Al-Tai Cameroon Léandre Tawamba
Al-Ula Argentina Cristian Guanca Brazil Allan Sousa Brazil Danilo Barbosa Brazil Eduardo Henrique Togo Khaled Narey Morocco Ismael Mokadem
Nigeria Christian Irobiso
Al-Wehda Nigeria Augustine Oladapo
Al-Zulfi Brazil Diego Miranda The Gambia Hamza Barry Kenya Eric Johana Omondi
Jeddah Gabon Medwin Biteghé Somalia Faisal Abu Bakr

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion, qualification or relegation
1 Abha 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Promotion to the Pro League
2 Al-Adalah 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 Al-Anwar 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Qualification for the promotion play-offs
4 Al-Arabi 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
5 Al-Batin 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
6 Al-Bukiryah 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
7 Al-Diriyah 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
8 Al-Faisaly 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
9 Al-Jabalain 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
10 Al-Jandal 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
11 Al-Jubail 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
12 Al-Orobah 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
13 Al-Raed 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
14 Al-Tai 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
15 Al-Ula 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
16 Al-Wehda 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Relegation to the Second Division
17 Al-Zulfi 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
18 Jeddah 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
First match(es) will be played: 11 September 2025. Source: saff.com.sa
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Total goal difference; 5) Total goals scored; 6) Fair-play points
(Note: Head-to-head record is used only after all the matches between the teams in question have been played).[37]

Positions by round

The table lists the positions of teams after each week of matches. In order to preserve chronological evolution, any postponed matches are not included in the round at which they were originally scheduled but added to the full round they were played immediately afterward.

Promotion to the Pro League
Qualification for the promotion play-offs
Relegation to the Second Division
Updated to match(es) played on 1 July 2025. Source:

Results

Home \ Away ABH ADA ANW ARB BAT BUK DIR FSY JAB JAN JUB ORO RAE TAI ULA WHD ZUL JED
Abha
Al-Adalah
Al-Anwar
Al-Arabi
Al-Batin
Al-Bukiryah
Al-Diriyah
Al-Faisaly
Al-Jabalain
Al-Jandal
Al-Jubail
Al-Orobah
Al-Raed
Al-Tai
Al-Ula
Al-Wehda
Al-Zulfi
Jeddah
Updated to match(es) played on 1 July 2025. Source: saff.com.sa
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Promotion play-offs

Semi-finals Final
      
3  
6  
 
 
4  
5  

Statistics

As of 1 July 2025

Scoring

Top scorers

Clean sheets

Number of teams by province

Rank Province Number Teams
1 Riyadh 4 Al-Anwar, Al-Diriyah, Al-Faisaly, and Al-Zulfi
2 Al-Qassim 3 Al-Arabi, Al-Bukiryah, and Al-Raed
Eastern Province Al-Adalah, Al-Batin, and Al-Jubail
4 Al-Jawf 2 Al-Jandal and Al-Orobah
Ha'il Al-Jabalain and Al-Tai
Mecca Al-Wehda and Jeddah
7 Asir 1 Abha
Medina Al-Ula

See also

References

  1. ^ "روزنامة الموسم الرياضي 2025-2026".
  2. ^ "منع الحراس الأجانب في «يلو»".
  3. ^ "رياضي / الرائد يهبط لدوري الدرجة الأولى".
  4. ^ "النصر ينتزع نقاط العروبة بقرار مركز التحكيم".
  5. ^ "الأخدود ينجو بريمونتادا مثيرة.. والوحدة يهبط".
  6. ^ "الدرعية أول الصاعدين إلى دوري يلو."
  7. ^ "العُلا.. حكاية صعود تاريخي".
  8. ^ "(الأنوار) يصعد إلى دوري (يلو) لأول مرة في تاريخه".
  9. ^ "الدرعية بطل دوري الدرجة الثانية".
  10. ^ "Prince Sultan Sport City Stadium (Mahalah)".
  11. ^ "Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Sports City Stadium".
  12. ^ "بدء تنفيذ مشروع منشأة نادي الأنوار بتكلفة (60 مليون ريال)".
  13. ^ "Department of Education Stadium in Unaizah".
  14. ^ "Al batin Club Stadiuem".
  15. ^ "Albukiryah Club Stadium".
  16. ^ "Prince Turki bin Abdul Aziz Stadium".
  17. ^ "استاد الأمير عبدالعزيز بن مساعد بن جلوي". kooora.com. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
  18. ^ ""ملعب جامعة الجوف" في أتم جاهزية بعد أعمال التطوير".
  19. ^ "استاد مدينة الأمير نايف بن عبدالعزيز الرياضية".
  20. ^ "استاد مدينة الأمير سعود بن جلوي الرياضية (الراكة)".
  21. ^ "ملعب نادي العروبة - AlOrubah Club Stadium".
  22. ^ "مدينة الأمير محمد بن عبدالعزيز الرياضية".
  23. ^ "ملعب نادي الزلفي - Zulfi Club Stadium".
  24. ^ "الكرواتي «بوريتش» مدرباً لأبها.. والطارف يتفق مع الإدارة".
  25. ^ "العياري يدرب العدالة".
  26. ^ "غريغوري دوفرينيس مدرباً للسماوي".
  27. ^ "لموشي يقود الدرعية في «يلو»".
  28. ^ "الإيطالي جيوفاني سوليناس مدربًا للفريق الأول لكرة القدم".
  29. ^ "مرحباً بك مدربنا "ريكاردو تشيو" في ناديك".
  30. ^ "الصـربي "زوران ميلينكوفيتش " مدربًا لـ #مارد_الجوف".
  31. ^ "البرتغالي بيدرو رودريغيز مدربًا للفريق الأول لكرة القدم في " نادي الجبيل "".
  32. ^ "المقدوني سلافشي فوينيسكي مديراً فنياً للفريق الأول في #دوري_يلو".
  33. ^ "الطائي يتعاقد مع الإسباني كارلوس هيرنانديز لقيادة الفريق حتى 2026".
  34. ^ "جدة يتعاقد مع المدرب البرازيلي روبرتو أوليفيرا".
  35. ^ "إدارة النادي توافق على إعتذار المدرب الوطني سلطان خميس عن عدم الاستمرار في مهمته كمدرب للفريق الأول".
  36. ^ "وقعت إدارة نادي الأنوار عقداً مع المدرب البرتغالي " ديفيد باتريسيو "".
  37. ^ "اللائحة التنظيمية لدوري الأمير محمد بن سلمان لأندية الأولى" [Regulations of Prince Mohammed bin Salman League for Division One Teams] (PDF) (in Arabic). SAFF. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
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