Saudi Pro League 2026/27: All 18 Clubs and Their Biggest Stars — from Ronaldo to Spertsyan

The new season of the Saudi Arabian football championship — the Saudi Pro League 2026/27 — kicks off on August 13. Eighteen clubs will take part in the competition, with squads once again packed with players whom fans were used to seeing in Europe’s leading leagues only recently.

For Armenian fans, the new season will be particularly interesting: Armenia captain Eduard Spertsyan has joined Al-Ahli. The 26-year-old midfielder moved from Krasnodar and signed a four-year contract.

Al-Ahli is not just another wealthy Saudi Pro League club. The Jeddah-based side has won the last two editions of the Asian Champions League, in the 2024/25 and 2025/26 seasons. In April 2026, Al-Ahli successfully defended the title and became the first club in more than 20 years to win Asia’s premier club competition in consecutive seasons.

Spertsyan is not the first Armenia international to play in Saudi Arabia. Marcos Pizzelli previously represented Al-Raed in the 2015/16 season and Al-Shabab in 2017/18. In 2023, Lucas Zelarayán joined Al-Fateh, where he spent two seasons.

For many fans, however, navigating all the “Al-” names among Saudi clubs can still be difficult. That is why we have compiled all 18 Saudi Pro League clubs for the 2026/27 season and selected one player for each team who makes the club easiest to identify.

This is not necessarily the most expensive player in each squad: some clubs have several contenders for the status of their biggest star. Transfer values are based on Transfermarkt figures at the time of publication.

Al-Hilal — Theo Hernández (€25m)

Choosing just one star from Al-Hilal is almost impossible. The squad includes João Cancelo, Sergej Milinković-Savić, Yassine Bounou, Rúben Neves, Darwin Núñez and Karim Benzema.

Crysencio Summerville is the club’s most valuable player, but we have chosen Theo Hernández as the main face of Al-Hilal.

Al-Ahli — Eduard Spertsyan (€25m)

For an Armenian audience, there is little suspense here. Eduard Spertsyan is beginning a new chapter of his career at one of Saudi Arabia’s strongest clubs and the reigning two-time Asian Champions League winner.

Al-Ahli has no shortage of other stars either, including Francisco Trincão, Ivan Toney and Édouard Mendy.

Al-Ittihad — Moussa Diaby (€25m)

Another giant from Jeddah. Our choice as the team’s main star is French winger Moussa Diaby, well known to European football fans from his spells at Bayer Leverkusen and Aston Villa.

The team has become more youth-oriented and features several young, high-value foreign players, although there are other familiar names in the squad as well, including Steven Bergwijn and Youssef En-Nesyri.

Al-Qadsiah — Mateo Retegui (€35m)

The biggest name at Al-Qadsiah is Italy striker Mateo Retegui. He is one of the most valuable players in the league and the team’s main attacking threat.

Al-Nassr — Cristiano Ronaldo (€10m)

No introduction is required here. Cristiano Ronaldo remains the face not only of Al-Nassr but of Saudi football as a whole.

The Portuguese star begins another season in Riyadh, and interest in every Al-Nassr game is still driven to a large extent by CR7. The squad also includes Kingsley Coman, Mohamed Simakan and João Félix.

NEOM — Alexandre Lacazette (€3.4m)

The most recognizable name in NEOM’s squad is former Lyon captain and ex-Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette.

In terms of transfer value, however, young defenders Malang Sarr and Nathan Zézé also stand out. Each is valued at €20 million, significantly more than the French striker.

Al-Shabab — Yannick Carrasco (€5m)

Belgian winger Yannick Ferreira Carrasco has long been one of Al-Shabab’s most recognizable players. European fans remember him primarily for his performances with Atlético Madrid.

Al-Ettifaq — Moussa Dembélé (€7m)

For Al-Ettifaq, we have chosen French striker Moussa Dembélé as the main star. He previously played for Celtic, Lyon and Atlético Madrid.

Al-Diriyah — Gaëtan Laborde (€3m)

One of the Saudi Pro League newcomers’ best-known players is French forward Gaëtan Laborde, who spent many years in Ligue 1.

Al-Diriyah will also be Spertsyan’s first opponent in his new league. The match takes place on August 13 at 21:00 Moscow time. The squad also features Idrissa Gueye, Chancel Mbemba and Berat Djimsiti.

Al-Khaleej — Angelo Fulgini (€5m)

The most familiar Al-Khaleej name for European fans is French attacking midfielder Angelo Fulgini, who enjoyed several impressive seasons with Lens.

Al-Taawoun — Nedim Bajrami (€2.5m)

At Al-Taawoun, our pick is Albania midfielder Nedim Bajrami, known for his spells in Serie A and with Scottish side Rangers.

Al-Fateh — Lukáš Haraslín (€6m)

One of the freshest and most interesting transfers ahead of the new season. Lukáš Haraslín officially became an Al-Fateh player on August 12 after joining from Sparta Prague.

Incidentally, Armenia international Lucas Zelarayán also played for Al-Fateh between 2023 and 2025.

Al-Kholood — Ramiro Enrique (€4m)

For Al-Kholood, we have selected Argentine striker Ramiro Enrique, one of the team’s more notable foreign players. The club’s foreign contingent is largely young and has limited experience in Europe, while Enrique previously played in Argentina and in MLS alongside Lionel Messi.

Abha — Nabil Fekir (€5m)

Another major summer move. Nabil Fekir, a 2018 World Cup winner with France, joined Abha in August.

The former Lyon leader and long-time Real Betis player is undoubtedly the biggest name at a club that has returned to the top flight.

Al-Fayha — Fashion Sakala (€3.8m)

Zambia striker Fashion Sakala remains Al-Fayha’s biggest star and is well known to Rangers supporters.

Al-Riyadh — Trézéguet (€4.5m)

Egyptian winger Trézéguet is one of the most recognizable names in the capital club’s squad. During his career, he has played in England, Turkey and Belgium, while also making numerous appearances for the Egyptian national team.

Al-Hazm — Afimico Pululu (€4m)

In our selection, striker Afimico Pululu is the main face of Al-Hazm.

Al-Faisaly — Théo Bongonda (€3m)

Completing the list is Théo Bongonda, the DR Congo international winger and former Spartak Moscow player.

Ronaldo, Benzema, Spertsyan and dozens of other stars: what to expect from the new Saudi Pro League season

The Saudi Pro League continues to evolve. A few years ago, its main tool for attracting global attention was signing ageing superstars from European football. Now Saudi clubs are increasingly targeting players who are still in the most productive years of their careers. Mateo Retegui, Eduard Spertsyan, Crysencio Summerville and others are among the most notable examples.

But the biggest global names have not disappeared. Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Theo Hernández, João Cancelo, Yassine Bounou, Sergej Milinković-Savić, Alexandre Lacazette, Yannick Carrasco and Nabil Fekir make the Saudi championship one of the most star-studded domestic leagues outside Europe.

For Armenian fans, the 2026/27 season brings an additional reason to follow the Saudi Pro League — Eduard Spertsyan’s performances for Al-Ahli.

The new Saudi Arabian league season begins on August 13, 2026, and promises to be one of the most interesting campaigns in the competition’s history.

In the opening round, Al-Ahli will travel to face Al-Diriyah. In Russia, the Saudi Pro League is broadcast by OKKO TV, while there is currently no official broadcaster in Armenia.