Roshn Saudi League ranked 38th in Opta’s latest global standings

The Roshn Saudi League has been placed 38th in the world in Opta’s latest ranking of football competitions, prompting debate in Saudi Arabia despite the league’s major investment and arrival of internationally renowned players and managers.

The ranking, updated on 6 November 2026, gave the Saudi league an average rating of 74.7 points. It placed behind both the Polish and Peruvian top flights.

The Premier League topped the list, followed by La Liga, the Bundesliga, Serie A and Ligue 1.

The ranking was discussed on In the Goal, the programme presented by Saudi broadcaster Batal Al-Qaous on Al Arabiya. Enrico Turcato, Opta’s representative in Italy, explained the criteria used to assess the Roshn Saudi League and why it had not been placed higher.

Turcato said the system did not simply measure the number of global stars playing in a competition. Instead, it examined the overall competitiveness of the league.

He said having a small number of clubs with elite players was not enough to secure a high position. The key consideration, he added, was how many teams were operating at an elite level and whether they were capable of increasing the intensity of competition across the division.

According to Turcato, that level of competitive depth is not currently present among all of the Saudi league’s clubs to the same extent.

The explanation means the presence of players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Riyad Mahrez is not, by itself, considered proof of the league’s overall strength. Opta’s assessment is based on the average level of all the teams rather than solely on the sporting and commercial value of its leading clubs.

The television discussion took a notable turn when Al-Qaous asked Turcato to name five clubs from the Peruvian league, which ranks above the Saudi competition. Turcato was unable to provide the names.

The ranking also followed comments from Saudi sports presenter Walid Al-Farraj, who had questioned the level of competition in the Saudi league and pointed to attendances as an important measure.

Responding on his programme Rotana Sport with Walid on Rotana Khalijia on Saturday evening to a viewer asking why attention was focused on the country’s four biggest clubs, Al-Farraj said: “The stands are empty… I respect and appreciate all the clubs, but do you think the 18 clubs in the league have the same impact?”

He added that only four clubs in Saudi Arabia formed the foundation for “following, attendance, marketing and money”, while the remainder completed the league.

“Proving your presence is not about raising your voice, but about being present inside the stadium,” he said.