The Saudi Arabian Women’s National Football Team has entered the official FIFA World Ranking for the first time in history. The team is currently ranked 171 in the world rankings that were released on Friday, marking a historic achievement for the country. The achievement was celebrated across Saudi Arabia with an event held at the King Abdullah Sports City in the coastal city of Jeddah.
The Road to the FIFA Rankings
The Women’s Football Department of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) was established in September 2019, and the national team was introduced two years later following initial tryouts that welcomed over 700 girls. Since then, the team has featured 47 girls from across Saudi Arabia.
A Historic Achievement
The national team, known as the Green Falcons, is currently led by Finnish Head Coach Rosa Lappi-Seppälä, who took over from Women’s Technical Director Monika Staab. The team’s first competitive international matches took place in February 2022 against the Seychelles and Maldives, where they recorded 2-0 victories in both matches, capturing global headlines and marking a watershed moment for Saudi women’s sports.
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The national team has played nine official matches so far, three of which were in its inaugural friendly tournament that saw it crowned as champion, earning 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.
Saudi Arabia Women’s Football Continues to Grow
The team captain, Sarah Khalid, said, “Each player has their own story, but what we all share is a love of football and a desire to compete.” Being FIFA-ranked makes us part of world football, and that means everything. We recognize that we have a huge responsibility to inspire the youth and pave the way for the future generation who will represent Saudi Arabia.”
Despite their historic achievement, goalkeeper Sarah Khalid added that they will work hard to improve, regardless of their ranking today. With a young squad, the team has an exciting future ahead, and they are taking it one step at a time and trying to grow every day.
Equal Opportunities for Boys and Girls in Sports and Beyond
Yasser Al Misehal, president of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation and FIFA Council member, expressed his pride in the girls’ achievement. He stated, “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 a U-17 national team. In just two 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.”
Looking Forward to a Promising Future
Women’s football in Saudi Arabia has undergone tremendous growth in recent years, reflecting the transformation happening across the country in various fields. The past two years have witnessed significant growth across all metrics, including the number of registered players, licensed coaches and referees, clubs, and domestic competitions.
It is worth noting that while sports betting remains illegal in Saudi Arabia, the increasing popularity and success of women’s football in the country have the potential to generate interest from Arabic football betting sites.
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 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.
