Article by Sebestyén Balázs | Football Benchmark

 

Key findings

• While recent investments continue to drive the professionalization of Saudi Arabian football, increased match exposure for young talent seems a key factor to improve the long-term competitiveness of its national team.
• Saudi national team players currently have less access to playing opportunities at club level compared to some of their peers from other top AFC nations.
• U23 players in the Saudi Pro League also tend to receive less playing time than their counterparts in the “Big Five” European leagues.
• With less than a decade to go before the 2034 FIFA World Cup, current development efforts will shape only part of the tournament’s squad — likely blending today’s young professionals with academy players just now beginning their journey. 
   

In December 2024, Saudi Arabia was officially announced as the host nation of the 2034 FIFA World Cup. The tournament’s slogan - “Growing. Together.” - encapsulates the country’s broader ambitions for development, both on and off the pitch. These ambitions date back well before the hosting rights were confirmed. In 2021, the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) unveiled a long-term football transformation strategy titled Our Tactics for Tomorrow, with the bold objective of reaching the top 20 in world football by 2034.

“We want to aim to be genuine contenders on the global stage to truly reflect the undeniable talent of our youth along with the country’s love for the game.” - Yasser Al-Misehal, President of the SAFF

This article explores the current state of Saudi football and the gap that remains to be bridged ahead of the 2034 FIFA World Cup, with a focus on youth development. Emphasizing the importance of access to playing opportunities — a critical factor in successful player transition and progression — we examine how Saudi Arabia compares against selected peers within the AFC confederation.
 

Starting point: current state of the national team and youth development

As of March 2025, Saudi Arabia’s national team is ranked 59th in the FIFA World Rankings and 8th in Asia. Moreover, since July 2006, the team has not ranked higher than 48th and has faced challenges in major international tournaments, with no knockout stage appearances at the FIFA World Cup since 1994 and only Round of 16 or group stage exits in each AFC Asian Cup since its last final appearance in 2007.

Using the 2023 AFC Asian Cup (staged in early 2024) and the following 12-month period as a reference point, a comparison between Saudi Arabia and a selection of Asian peers offers useful context. 

During this period, Saudi national team players recorded significantly fewer aggregate club minutes than their counterparts from Japan and Korea Republic, with only 0.7% of those minutes played in Europe’s “Big Five” leagues - a metric that reflects the level of high-quality competitive exposure. Among the selected AFC nations, Saudi Arabia ranked only ahead of Qatar in this respect.

A focus on U23 players also provides additional perspective. Saudi Arabia’s squad included five players in this age category during the 2023 AFC Asian Cup - second only to Uzbekistan - but these players have received, on average, less playing opportunities than their regional peers.
 

 
 

Domestic playing time: room for growth

The domestic league environment plays a pivotal role in providing meaningful opportunities for young players and may be directly influenced by strategic measures and incentives. Over the last 12 months, only 10% of total minutes in the Saudi Pro League (SPL) were played by U23 players—below the benchmark observed across Europe’s “Big Five” leagues (France - 27%, Spain - 19%, England - 18%, Germany - 17%, Italy - 16%).

 

Efforts to address this challenge are already underway. Recent reforms have facilitated the arrival of foreign youth talent in the SPL, aiming to raise the league’s overall level. Moving forward, it will be important to assess how these changes impact opportunities for domestic players and whether they contribute to a more balanced environment for youth development.

At club level, Al Fateh led the league in providing U23 minutes to Saudi players over the last year (6,844), followed by Al Ittihad (5,326) and Al Shabab (4,248). On average, clubs included in this analysis provided around 2,800 minutes to Saudi U23 players over the past year. In comparison, the average playing time for international U23 talent was 858 minutes, with the “Big Four” (Al Ahli, Al Ittihad, Al Hilal, and Al Nassr), along with Al Shabab and Al Wehda, providing the most playing time for such players. Despite also relying on international talent, Al Ittihad stands out for integrating young domestic players into its squad.

 

Pathways, incentives, and the importance of alignment

As the SPL continues to attract global stars and improves its competitive level, it will become an increasingly valuable platform for talent development—provided that domestic youth are given the right opportunities. In parallel, Saudi players could benefit from gaining experience in more demanding football environments abroad. A key challenge in this regard is the so-called “wealthy market syndrome,” where top domestic players may be less incentivized to pursue opportunities overseas due to the strong financial and sporting appeal of staying at home.

As highlighted in a recent Football Benchmark article, Japan offers a useful reference point: many of its top players initially transitioned through second-tier European leagues before reaching the “Big Five” —a pathway that proved instrumental in raising the national team’s overall competitiveness. Defining similarly viable international pathways will be key to supporting Saudi talent in the years ahead.

 

Looking ahead

Reforms aimed at improving talent development must take a holistic approach - one that aligns all key stakeholders and addresses multiple dimensions, including playing time opportunities, infrastructure development, coach education, competitive structures, and player pathways.

As each season passes, the window for making meaningful on-pitch improvements ahead of the 2034 World Cup narrows. Considering the average player age at the last World Cup (27), the average age of the 2034 squad could be around 18 today. This suggests that some of the work may already only bear fruit beyond 2034. Therefore, Saudi Arabia may benefit from adopting a dual-track approach: maintaining a long-term vision while also identifying targeted short-term actions that can strengthen the national team ahead of 2034.
 

Football Benchmark & Youth Football

The Football Benchmark Advisory team supports governing bodies, leagues, and clubs in assessing their youth development landscape, identifying opportunities, and shaping effective strategies. For any enquiries, feel free to contact us at info@footballbenchmark.com.