The 2024–25 First Division League (known as the Yelo League for sponsorship reasons) is the fourth season of the Saudi First Division League after its rebrand, and the 48th season of the Saudi First Division since its establishment in 1976.
On 22 April, Neom became the first team to be promoted following a 3–0 away win against Al-Arabi. They were crowned champions following a 6–0 away win against Jeddah on 29 April. They set the record for the most points and most wins in a 34–league game season and set the record for most goals scored in a season. On 12 May, Al-Najma became the second club to be promoted following a 2–0 home win against Ohod. On 29 May, Al-Hazem became the third and final club to be promoted after defeating Al-Adalah 3–0 in the promotion play-offs final.
On 28 April, Ohod became the first team to be relegated after a 1–1 draw with Al-Adalah. On 6 May, Al-Safa became the second team to be relegated following a 4–1 home defeat to Al-Arabi. On 12 May, Al-Ain became the third and the final club to be relegated following a 2–2 draw with Al-Faisaly.
Overview Changes On 21 June 2024, the FDL announced the introduction of a play-off system to determine the third team to be promoted to the Saudi Pro League. Teams placed between third and sixth position took part in the promotion play-offs. The fifth-placed would face the fourth, while the sixth-placed team would face the third. The final would be single-legged, hosted by the higher-placed team.
Team changes The following teams have changed division since the 2023–24 season.
To the First Division League Promoted from Second Division Neom Al-Jubail Al-Zulfi
Relegated from Pro League Abha Al-Tai Al-Hazem
From the First Division League Promoted to Pro League Al-Qadsiah Al-Orobah Al-Kholood
Relegated to Second Division Al-Qaisumah Hajer Al-Taraji
Teams A total of 18 teams will be contesting the league, including 12 sides from the 2023–24 season, the three promoted teams from the Second Division and the three relegated sides from the Saudi Pro League.
Al-Hazem were the first team to be relegated following a 4–1 home defeat to Al-Hilal on 11 May 2024. Al-Hazem were relegated after just one year in the top flight. This was their third relegation in five years. Both Abha and Al-Tai were relegated on the final day of the season. Abha were relegated following a 2–1 defeat away to Al-Hazem. Al-Tai were relegated following a 2–0 home defeat to Al-Okhdood. Abha were relegated after five seasons in the top flight while Al-Tai were relegated after three seasons. Abha will play in their 20th season in the FD League, while Al-Hazem will play in their 15th season and Al-Tai in their 23rd season.
The first club to be promoted was Al-Jubail who did so after a 1–1 draw against Bisha on 16 March 2024. On 22 March 2024, Neom became the second club to be promoted following a 3–2 win against Al-Zulfi. The third and final club to be promoted was Al-Zulfi, who did so following a 3–0 aggregate win over Al-Diriyah in the promotion play-offs on 17 April 2024.
Neom were crowned champions for the first time after defeating Al-Jubail 3–2 in the final.
Neom return to the First Division League after an absence of 12 years. They return to the league for the first time since the 2011–12 season and will play in their 2nd overall season. In addition, this will be their first season in the FDL since their name change. Both Al-Jubail and Al-Zulfi were promoted to the First Division League for the first time in history.
Stadium and personnel
Note: Table lists in alphabetical order. Team Location Stadium Capacity Head coachAbhaAbhaPrince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Stadium Abderrazek ChebbiAl-AdalahAl-HasaPrince Abdullah bin Jalawi StadiumHajer Club Stadium Martin ŠevelaAl-AinAl Atawlah King Saud Sport City Stadium Jorge PaixãoAl-ArabiUnaizahDepartment of Education Stadium Kiko LópezAl-BatinHafar al-Batin Al-Batin Club Stadium Khalil Al-MasriAl-BukiryahAl BukayriyahAl-Bukiryah Club Stadium Leonardo RamosAl-FaisalyHarmahAl Majma'ah Sports City (Al Majma'ah) Pablo FrancoAl-HazemAr RassAl-Hazem Club Stadium Jalel KadriAl-JabalainHa'ilPrince Abdul Aziz bin Musa'ed Stadium Jorge MendonçaAl-JandalDumat al-JandalAl-Orobah Club Stadium (Sakakah) Ziyad Al-AfarAl-JubailJubailAl-Jubail Club Stadium Khalid Al-NuaimiAl-NajmaUnaizahDepartment of Education StadiumAl-Najma Club Stadium Mário SilvaAl-SafaSafwa Al-Safa Club StadiumPrince Saud bin Jalawi Stadium Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium Reda Al-JanabiAl-TaiHa'ilPrince Abdul Aziz bin Musa'ed Stadium Zdravko Logarušić Al-Zulfi Al Zulfi Al-Zulfi Club Stadium Khalid Al-KoroniJeddahJeddahPrince Abdullah Al-Faisal StadiumSports Hall at King Abdullah Sports City Iván CarrascoNeomTabukKing Khalid Sport City Stadium Péricles ChamuscaOhodMedinaOhod Club Stadium Habib Ben Romdhane
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner ofdepartureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming managerDate ofappointment Abha Pitso MosimaneEnd of contract1 June 2024Pre-season Abderrazek Chebbi 20 August 2024 Al-Adalah Roel Coumans Martin Ševela 19 June 2024 Al-Ain Zoran Milinković Ricardo Sousa 15 August 2024 Al-Arabi Yousef Anbar Maher Al-Shammari 21 June 2024 Al-Bukiryah Khalil Al-Masri Denis Lavagne 11 July 2024 Al-Faisaly Marcelo Chamusca Filipe Gouveia 6 June 2024 Al-Jabalain Nacif Beyaoui Jorge Mendonça 14 July 2024 Al-Jubail Ayman El Seraj Laurent Hagist 2 July 2024 Al-Najma Giovanni Solinas Mário Silva 7 July 2024 Al-Safa Laurent Hagist Carlos Pinto 30 June 2024 Al-Tai Leonardo Ramos Aleksandar Ilić 12 July 2024 Al-Zulfi Makram Abdullah Ghazaleh Zoran Milinković 3 June 2024 Jeddah Maher Al-Shammari Iván Carrasco 25 July 2024 Neom Afouène Gharbi Péricles Chamusca 1 June 2024 Ohod Damir Burić Yousef Anbar 20 July 2024 Al-Batin Abdulaziz NasserEnd of caretaker period Rui Almeida 15 July 2024 Al-Arabi Maher Al-ShammariSacked 4 October 2024 6th Damir Burić 4 October 2024 Al-Bukiryah Denis Lavagne 4 October 2024 18th Nandinho 13 October 2024 Al-Tai Aleksandar Ilić 12 October 2024 9th Mohamed Kouki 15 October 2024 Al-Batin Rui Almeida Mutual consent 16 October 2024 7th Nacif Beyaoui 16 October 2024 Al-Safa Carlos PintoSacked 18 October 2024 17th Eelco Schattorie 18 October 2024 Al-Ain Ricardo Sousa 28 October 2024 15th Toufik Rouabah 31 October 2024Al-Jubail Laurent Hagist 31 October 2024 10th Jonathan Mabanza (caretaker) 31 October 2024 Jonathan Mabanza (caretaker) End of caretaker period 16 November 2024 14th Darko Nestorović 16 November 2024 Al-Faisaly Filipe Gouveia Mutual consent 28 November 2024 16th Alhomaidi Al-Otaibi (caretaker) 28 November 2024 Al-Safa Eelco Schattorie Resigned 6 December 2024 14th Juan Brown 8 December 2024 Al-Faisaly Alhomaidi Al-Otaibi (caretaker) End of caretaker period 30 December 2024 15th Pablo Franco 30 December 2024 Al-Bukiryah Nandinho Signed by Al-Muharraq 30 January 2025 9th Leonardo Ramos 31 January 2025Ohod Yousef Anbar Resigned 5 February 202518th Hafedh Hamzaoui (caretaker) 5 February 2025 Hafedh Hamzaoui (caretaker) End of caretaker period 15 February 2025 Habib Ben Romdhane 15 February 2025 Al-Ain Toufik Rouabah Sacked 20 February 2025 17th Jorge Paixão 21 February 2025 Al-Batin Nacif Beyaoui Mutual consent 25 February 2025 14th Khalil Al-Masri 25 February 2025 Al-Zulfi Zoran MilinkovićSacked 5 March 2025 12th Khalid Al-Koroni 5 March 2025 Al-Arabi Damir Burić 5 March 2025 9th Hamoud Al-Saiari 5 March 2025 Al-Safa Juan Brown 7 March 2025 17th Reda Al-Janabi 7 March 2025 Al-Arabi Hamoud Al-Saiari Resigned 18 March 2025 10th Kiko López 28 March 2025 Al-Jubail Darko NestorovićSacked 8 April 2025 14th Khalid Al-Nuaimi 8 April 2025 Al-Hazem Saleh Al-Mohammadi 10 April 2025 3rd Jalel Kadri 14 April 2025 Al-Tai Mohamed Kouki Mutual consent 16 April 2025 7th Zdravko Logarušić 16 April 2025
Foreign players On 9 March 2024, the Saudi FF announced that the number of foreign players would be decreased from 7 players to 5 players.
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 Former players Abha Fabián Noguera Muhammed Badamosi Lamine N'dao Nabil Marmouk Evans Kangwa Modou Barrow François Kamano Johnstone Omurwa Godspower Aniefiok Al-Adalah Rédha Bensayah Alan Cariús Philipe Maia Amine Atouchi Anthony Okpotu Al-Ain Mauro González Slaviša Bogdanović Kwame Bonsu Ença Fati Halid Lwaliwa Gozie Ugwu Al-Arabi Christopher Knett Romell Quioto Hamidou Traoré Ola John Ablaye Mbengue Reinaldo Dutra Al-Batin Thibault Peyre Aly Desse Sissoko Abdelali Mhamdi Afonso Taira Oussama Bouguerra Kevin Luckassen Ibrahim Tomiwa João Amaral Al-Bukiryah Fernando Piñero Connor Pain Džiugas Bartkus Henrique Luvannor Hicham Faik Al-Faisaly Junior Mendieta Lucas Souza Morato Abdoulaye Ba Moussa Djitté Alexandre Guedes Vladimir Stojković Al-Hazem Okacha Hamzaoui Juriën Gaari Karim Yoda Zinho Gano Ibrahima Ndiaye Alexandru Albu Al-Jabalain Jobson Kaká Mendes Marcelo Carné Juanjo Narváez Léo Lacroix Al-Jandal Leandrinho Cheick Comara Chisom Egbuchulam Emanuel Novo Yassine Amri Leandro Silva Al-Jubail Allan Sousa Rafael Martins Vina Walmerson Appolinaire Kack Tiago Bezerra Roberto Dias Al-Najma Léo Tilica Max Walef Bilel Aouacheria Ali Adnan Kadhim Sylla Sow Agi Dambelley Al-Safa Fabinho Maicon Danilo Asprilla Luis Hinestroza Daouda Toure Alexandru Albu Borhane Hakimi Al-Tai Léandre Tawamba Ibrahima Tandia Nebojša Kosović Andrei Cordea Emmanuel Banda Marko Dugandžić Al-Zulfi Diego Miranda Diego Silva Sadat Karim Mounir El Allouchi Erhun Obanor Isaac Mitima Jeddah Isaías Rodríguez Ricardo Caraballo Medwin Biteghé Bryant Ortega Neom Saïd Benrahma Carlos Júnior Ahmed Hegazi Alfa Semedo Mbaye Diagne Romarinho Ohod Konrad Michalak
League table
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.
Results
Promotion play-offs
Semi-finals
Final
Statistics
Scoring Top scorers Rank Player Club Goals1 Alan CariúsAl-Adalah202 VinaAl-Jubail163 Zinho GanoAl-Hazem15 Ahmed Abdu JaberAbha/Neom CarlosNeom6 Andrei CordeaAl-Tai14 Mbaye DiagneNeom Henrique LuvannorAl-Bukiryah9 Romell QuiotoAl-Arabi1310 Léo TilicaAl-Najma12 Sylla SowAl-Najma
Hat-tricks
Player For Against Result Date Ahmed Abdu Jaber Abha Al-Faisaly 3–1 (H) Alan Cariús Al-Adalah Al-Faisaly 3–3 (H) Ablaye Mbengue Al-Arabi Al-Jabalain 3–3 (A) Carlos4 Neom Al-Batin 7–2 (A) Andrei Cordea Al-Tai Al-Zulfi 3–0 (H)
Note (H) – Home; (A) – Away4 Player scored 4 goals
Clean sheets RankPlayerClubCleansheets1 Džiugas BartkusAl-Bukiryah16 Mustafa MalayekahNeom3 Saad Al-SalehAl-Zulfi13 Max WalefAl-Najmah Moataz Al-BaqaawiAl-Tai6 Marcelo CarnéAl-Jabalain117 Emanuel NovoAl-Jandal98 Abdullah Al-JadaaniAbha89 Yasser Al-MosailemJeddah710 Meshal HarissAl-Batin6 Ibrahim ZaidAl-Hazem Rafael MartinsAl-Jubail Slaviša BogdanovićAl-Ain
Awards Round awards