Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Sunday, Jun 01, 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
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
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
The Daily Debate: The Fall of the Dollar — Strategic Reset or Economic Self-Destruction?
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
Saudi-Spanish Business Forum Commences in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia and Spain Sign MoU to Boost SME Sectors
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
A Chinese company made solar tiles that look way nicer than regular panels!
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
Saudi Arabia Emerges as Global Tech Magnet with U.S. Backing and Trump’s Visit
This was President's departure from Saudi Arabia. The Crown Prince personally escorted him back to the airport.
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
Trump takes a blow torch to the neocons and interventionists while speaking to the Saudis
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
Michael Jordan to Serve as Analyst for NBA Games
×