Saudi and Japanese football leagues to work together to develop the sport in both countries

The Saudi Pro League (SPL) and the Japan Professional Football League (J.League) have signed an agreement aiming to establish effective communication channels between the two bodies. (SPL/File)
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Updated 13 August 2024
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Saudi and Japanese football leagues to work together to develop the sport in both countries

  • They will collaborate on ways to achieve sustainable growth of the sport, enhance the standard of football, and facilitate exchange of expertise between players and coaches
  • The agreement also includes plans for talent-discovery networks, cultural-exchange events, and friendly matches between Japanese and Saudi clubs

RIYADH: The Saudi Pro League and Japan’s Professional Football League have signed an agreement to cooperate on ways to develop the sport in both countries.

To achieve this they will work with teams in both leagues and collaborate on ways to achieve sustainable growth of the sport, enhance the standard of football, facilitate the exchange of experiences and resources between players and coaches, and establish an effective system for communication about technical and administrative matters.

The agreement was signed on the sidelines of a Saudi-Japanese business forum by the vice chair of the SPL’s board of directors, Saad Allazeez, and Yoshokaze Ninomura of the J.League.

Allazeez said the agreement reflects the SPL’s transformation strategy and added: “This partnership will open new horizons for exchanging experiences and promoting the continuous development in the field of football between the two countries.

“We look forward to working with our counterparts in Japan to raise the level of the game at all levels.”

The agreement also includes support for the continued growth and development of SPL and J.League through workshops and conferences to consider ideas for strengthening football infrastructure, cooperation in talent-discovery networks to help identify and nurture stars of the future, cultural-exchange events that celebrate the diverse cultures of the two countries and enhance the global appeal of football, and friendly matches between Japanese and Saudi clubs.


Ronaldo strikes again as Al-Nassr maintain clear Saudi Pro League leadership

Updated 09 November 2025
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Ronaldo strikes again as Al-Nassr maintain clear Saudi Pro League leadership

  • 3-1 win at Neom means Riyadh club with 100% record of 24 points from 8 matches

RIYADH: Al-Nassr defeated newly promoted Neom 3-1 on Saturday night to maintain their perfect start to the 2025-26 Saudi Pro League season.

The win was the Riyadh club’s eighth of the campaign and sees them top the table with 24 points, three ahead of surprise package Al-Taawoun, who had won 5-2 at Al-Fateh the previous night. Al-Hilal are in third on 20 points after beating hosts Al-Najma 4-2, also on Friday.

Al-Nassr led 1-0 at the break through Brazilian striker Angelo’s 42nd-minute opener and their night was made more comfortable when the home team had the Uruguayan Luciano Rodriguez sent off 11 minutes into the second period.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored Al-Nassr’s second from the penalty spot on 65 minutes before Ahmed Abdu halved the deficit with six minutes left. However, two minutes later Ronaldo’s fellow Portuguese forward Joao Felix made it 3-1 to end any hopes the home team had of a late comeback.

In Saturday’s other matches, reigning champions Al-Ittihad’s miserable defense of their title continued with a 1-0 loss at home to Asian champions Al-Ahli in the Jeddah derby, while Al-Ettifaq managed a 1-1 draw at Al-Shabab.