NEOM’s Saudi football club builds for a future home in a city still under construction

NEOM Sports Club are developing their identity alongside the ambitious NEOM project in north-west Saudi Arabia, with the club now established in the Saudi Pro League and featuring high-profile players including Alexandre Lacazette and Said Benrahma.

The club currently play their home matches at King Khalid Sport City Stadium in Tabuk, which holds about 12,000 spectators. They will remain there until their planned new stadium is completed within the wider NEOM development.

NEOM is behind a series of major projects in the region, including The Line, a proposed urban development that is central to the area’s long-term plans.

Football is also expected to play a prominent role in that vision. Saudi Arabia’s plans to host the 2034 World Cup include a proposal for NEOM Stadium, which would have a capacity of more than 46,000 and become the home ground of NEOM Sports Club after the tournament.

Spanish newspaper AS published a report about the club on Monday under the headline: “NEOM: A football club for a city that does not yet exist.”

The report said: “The club has a history that predates its connection with the NEOM project. It was founded in 1965 and, at different stages, was known as Al-Suqoor Club before being renamed NEOM Sports Club as part of the wider investment in Saudi sport.”

The team’s rise has accelerated since they won promotion to the Saudi Pro League, also known as the Roshn Saudi League, in 2025.

After promotion, NEOM added several recognisable names to their squad. Lacazette joined from Lyon, while Benrahma arrived with experience of West Ham. The squad also includes Nathan Zeze, Luciano Rodriguez and former Saudi Arabia and Al Hilal captain Salman Al-Faraj.

Frenchman Christophe Galtier, who has previously managed Paris Saint-Germain, Lille and Nice, was appointed as head coach.

NEOM finished their first Saudi Pro League campaign, in 2025-26, eighth in a division containing 18 teams. They recorded 12 wins from 34 matches and collected 45 points.

Lacazette was the club’s leading scorer with 11 goals, one more than Benrahma.

The club’s ambitions are expected to grow as construction continues across NEOM and the area’s sporting infrastructure develops.

The proposed NEOM Stadium is expected to form part of The Line. According to the concept outlined in Saudi Arabia’s 2034 World Cup hosting file, it would accommodate more than 46,000 spectators and sit more than 1,150 feet above ground level.

For now, the club remain in a transitional phase. They are competing at an existing stadium in Tabuk while preparing for a future connected to new sporting facilities within the NEOM project.

AS concluded: “This creates one of the strangest relationships between a football team and the place it represents. Most clubs carry the history of their home city wherever they go. NEOM Sports Club carries the name of a city that is still being built.”