Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Saturday, Jun 21, 2025

Saudi Arabian women’s national team enters FIFA world ranking for first time

Saudi Arabian women’s national team enters FIFA world ranking for first time

The Saudi Arabian Women’s Football National Team has been included in the official FIFA World Ranking for the very first time on Friday.
The historic sporting achievement for the country has been celebrated widely across Saudi with a dedicated event held at the King Abdullah Sports City in the coastal city of Jeddah.

The Women’s Football Department of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) was established in September 2019, with the national team introduced two years later following initial try-outs that welcomed over 700 girls and the squad has since featured 47 girls from across Saudi Arabia.

The national team, commonly known as the Green Falcons are currently led by Finish Head Coach Rosa Lappi-Seppälä, who took over from the newly promoted Women’s Technical Director Monika Staab. The team’s first competitive international matches took place February 2022 against Seychelles and Maldives and captured global headlines and were a watershed moment for Saudi women’s sports, with the Saudi’s recording 2-0 victories in both matches.

Overall, the national team has featured in nine official matches, three of which were in its inaugural friendly tournament that saw it crowned as champion, helping earn its place on the global stage within the FIFA Ranking. As a result, the team will now be able to build on its record of four wins, three draws and two defeats by officially competing in FIFA and AFC-sanctioned competitions.

“Each player has their own story, but what we all share is a love of football and a desire to compete. To be FIFA ranked makes us part of world football and that means everything. We recognise that we have a huge responsibility to inspire the youth and pave way for the future generation who will represent Saudi Arabia,” said team captain Sarah Khalid.

The goalkeeper added: Regardless of our ranking today, we will work hard to improve. We have an exciting future ahead when you look at how young our squad is. But for now, we are just taking it one step at a time and trying to grow every day.

Yasser Al Misehal, President of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation and FIFA Council member said: “What these girls achieved in just a matter of a year and a half has been nothing short of incredible. Since 2019 we have managed to successfully establish a national team, a premier league, a first division, a school’s league, with 50,000 girls signing up and in recent weeks introduced an U-17 national team. In just 2 years we have nearly doubled the number of registered players, clubs, referees and staff and seen an 800% growth in the number of coaches. Statistics all of football can be proud of and it just shows what is possible when you love the game.

We are fully committed to offering equal opportunities for boys and girls, in sport and beyond. For instance, our national teams get equal daily allowance while representing their country, regardless of gender. They share the same training pitches, stay in the same quality accommodation, and have access to the same equipment and resources.”

Women’s football in Saudi Arabia has undergone huge strides in recent years and mirrors much of the transformation happening across all areas in the country. The last two years alone witnessed astronomical growth across all metrics including the number of registered players to licensed coaches and referees to clubs and domestic competitions. All have massively increased.

Today, there are 694 league players, representing over 20 nationalities from across the globe, marking an 86% increase since 2021. Female coaches grew from 119 to over 1,000 in two years, while grassroots academies focused on 6-17-year-old players recorded a massive 773% growth in registrations. Anoud Al Asmari also became the first Saudi referee to be included on FIFA’s official referee list for the year, paving the way for aspiring referees hoping to represent Saudi Arabia on the world stage.

Lamia Bahaian, Saudi Arabian Football Federation board member and Supervisor of the Women’s Football Department said: “Our national team made history when it was established 18 months ago, and since then their journey has inspired millions across Saudi Arabia and the region. Entering the FIFA Ranking has been the moment we’ve been building up towards, and signals just the beginning of what we want to achieve with these girls. They can write their own history now.

We are also already in active collaborations with many global bodies and federations and invite the world to join us on our women’s football movement as we strive to give it the platform it truly deserves.

Earlier this year, SAFF concluded its inaugural professional leagues last month, with Al Nassr crowned champions of the eight-team Women’s Premier League. On an amateur level, almost 50,000 girls from a total of 3,660 school teams took part in the first nationwide Schools League.

Following a successful men’s AFC Asian Cup bid, Saudi Arabia now awaits a decision on its 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup bid which promises to grow the sport across the continent and build a lasting legacy in Saudi Arabia.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
Trump's Anti-War Stance Tested Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Iran Launches Extensive Missile Attack on Israel Following Israeli Strikes on Nuclear Sites
Israel Issues Ultimatum to Iran Over Potential Retaliation and Nuclear Facilities
Black Box Recovered from Air India Crash Site
Coinbase CEO Warns Bitcoin Could Supplant US Dollar Amid Mounting National Debt
Trump to Iran: Make a Deal — Sign or Die
Operation "Like a Lion": Israel Strikes Iran in Unprecedented Offensive
Israel Launches 'Operation Rising Lion' Targeting Iranian Nuclear and Military Sites
Israeli Forces Intercept Gaza-Bound Aid Vessel Carrying Greta Thunberg
IMF Warns of Severe Global Trade War Impacts on Emerging Markets
Syria to Reconnect to Global Economy After 14 Years of Isolation
Israel Confirms Arming Gaza Clan to Counter Hamas Influence
Global News Roundup: From Ukraine's strategic military strikes and Russia's demands and Tensions Escalate in Ukraine, to serious legal issues faced by Britons in Bali and Trump's media criticism, the latest developments highlight a turbulent landscape
U.S. Reduces Military Presence in Syria
Trump Demands Iran End All Uranium Enrichment in Nuclear Talks
Iran Warns Europe Against Politicizing UN Nuclear Report
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
×