Saudi Pro League expands to 18 clubs in the 2023-24 season

Riyadh-Saudi Arabia’s professional league will increase from 16 clubs to 18 clubs after the 2023-24 season, the Saudi Arabian Football Federation announced Thursday.

To facilitate expansion, only two teams will be demoted from the top tier at the end of next season instead of the usual three. 4 teams will be promoted.

It was also agreed that from the same season, the team will be able to sign eight foreign players, one more than currently allowed, but only seven can play at a time. Saudi Arabia’s foreign player limits are higher than most other leagues, but other parts of Asia are catching up.

The federation is keen to expand the league as Saudi Arabia enjoys a period of football achievement. Last month, the national team won Group B ahead of Japan and Australia, qualifying for the sixth World Cup. In November, Al Hilal became the fourth Asian champion after defeating South Korea’s Pohang Steelers 2-0 in the final in Riyadh.

SAFF President Yassel al-Misehar said the move, agreed at a meeting with the country’s clubs, would make the Saudi Arabian league one of the largest and best in the world.

“There are 18 to 20 teams in a large, highly competitive international league,” said Al-Misehal. “We have taken a step further here in Saudi Arabia and found that it is time to increase the number of clubs to 18 in the professional league from the 2023-24 season.”

He said the most important reason for this move was “the desire to increase competition between clubs, which will help generate more talent and future profits will be reflected in the national team.” Added. — SG