The Saudi Pro League has grown into a domestic competition in recent years, with the country’s investment fund pouring in millions to lure big names to the Middle East.
Ballon d’Or winners Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema are among the big names moving to the SPL, joining foundation clubs Al-Nassr and Al-Ittihad respectively.
Neom SC is taking a different approach in their attempt to compete with the biggest spending teams in the league. The newly promoted side lost their opening match to Al-Ahli, but have since bounced back with three consecutive wins to sit fourth in the table.
Neom has achieved this despite being the youngest team in the Saudi Pro League in terms of minutes played. In addition, head coach Christophe Galtier has given more minutes to U23 and U21 players than any other team.
The average age of the Neom squad in 2025/26 was just 25.99. That figure would be even more impressive if it weren’t largely skewed by the addition of an experienced core of former Premier League names including Alexandre Lacazette, Said Benrahma and Abdoulaye Doucoure.
However, Neom has also focused on a long-term project that will see French U21 internationals Nathan Zere and Saimon Boubare join as part of their post-promotion recruitment. 22-year-old Uruguayan international Luciano Rodriguez has also joined the ranks despite interest from Europe.
NEOM has officially announced the signing of Uruguayan winger Luciano Rodríguez.#yallarsl | #RoshnSaudiLeague | @SPL_EN
pic.twitter.com/dmlxf3EVuY
– Arabic news | Sports (@ArabNewsSport) September 10, 2025
For comparison, champions Al-Ittihad’s average age is 28.04, while Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr has an average of 29.08, the third oldest team in the division.
Saudi Arabia has certainly made an impression with expensive imports, but Neom is committed to a sustainable future.
Read – Five central defenders without a contract in 2026
See more – The five most capped footballers of the 21st century
Follow The Football Faithful on social media:
Facebook | Instagram | Tweet | YouTube | TikTok
#Neom #charting #route #success #Saudi #Pro #League