DAMMAM: The top five in the 2026/27 Saudi Pro League at the first international break is now set — and one name is a surprise. NEOM, who followed up their victory against Al-Hilal last week with a 4-2 win against Al-Fateh on Sunday, completed the league’s top five alongside Al-Hilal, Al-Ittihad, Al-Nassr and Al-Qadsiah.
In a season where Al-Ahli were widely expected to contend for the title — at least when Matthias Jaissle was still in charge — they were displaced from the top by a team in only its second season in the Saudi Pro League.
To be fair, only seven matchdays have been played — but this NEOM side has come a long way from the team that finished eighth last season. Christophe Galtier has built on the foundations that Pericles Chamusca laid in guiding them to promotion from the Saudi First Division, assembling a team that blends experienced players with rising talent.
The Tabuk-based side sit on 15 points, having won five and lost two — to Al-Qadsiah and Al-Riyadh.
That blend could not have been more evident in their Matchday 7 fixture against Al-Fateh. Four of the players who contributed goals on the night were aged 24 or under — Amadou Kone, Islam Hawsawi, Mohannad Abu Taha and Muhannad Al-Saad — with the more experienced Alexandre Lacazette and Valentin Vada also on target to complete a comprehensive victory.
Their standout moment of the night came from their youngest scorer — Kone. The 21-year-old Ivorian midfielder — one who the league’s bigger clubs are keeping a close eye on — has nearly doubled his output from last season already, despite playing 25 fewer games.
In the 51st minute, with the score level, he weaved past his marker to unleash a thunderous effort from outside the box and give NEOM a 2-1 lead. His goal was sandwiched between Lacazette’s brace — the Frenchman converting a penalty in the 14th minute before restoring NEOM’s lead for the final time in the 70th minute with a well-timed volley.
Vada opened his account for the club in the 79th minute after Abu Taha delivered a line-breaking through ball — just three minutes after both came on — to complete the victory.
For Al-Fateh, it was another disappointing night — as they joined the six teams that ended the first seven matchdays winless. Head coach Khaled Al-Atwi has struggled to find consistent goal contributions outside of Mourad Batna, and that weakness was on show here. Batna curled an exquisite free-kick in the 41st minute before setting up Wilfried Kanga’s goal in the 64th minute — but his efforts ultimately proved in vain.
Elsewhere, Al-Kholood’s remarkable unbeaten run came to an end after their best-ever start in SPL history. Kader Keita and Rodrigo Abascal led Al-Riyadh’s charge to a 2-0 victory as Milan Borjan made a series of vital saves to keep Al-Kholood at bay. Despite the defeat, Al-Kholood remain a respectable seventh.
Meanwhile, Diriyah’s chance to announce themselves as a new force in the league fell flat in a disappointing 0-0 draw with Abha, who are one of the league’s six winless sides. Neither Diriyah’s duo of Adil Boulbina and Darwin Nunez nor Abha’s Michy Batshuayi and Nabil Fekir were able to break the deadlock.
The SPL now takes a break until Oct. 9, with the AFC Champions League Elite returning mid-week before the Arabian Gulf Cup in Jeddah kicks off on Sept. 23.
