GOAL 25 | Omar Al Somah and the 15 best foreign players in the history of the Saudi Pro League

The Saudi Pro League remains one of the strongest leagues in the Arabian region and has been so since its inception in 1951, with many foreign players coming to play as “professionals” over the decades.

GOAL will show you some of the best foreign players across the Saudi Pro League’s history:

1- Omar Al Somah

Of course, there is no way Omar Al Somah cannot be part of this list. His individual and collective achievements with Al Ahli cannot be forgotten and he has broken many records in the league.

2- Christian Wilhelmsson

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The Swede played at Al Hilal for 3 seasons before moving to Al Ahli Doha, and then came back to Al Hilal for a season scoring 10 goals and assisting two.

3- Marcelo Camacho

One of the best Brazilian foreigners in Saudi League history, Camacho played for Al Ahli and Al Shabab and achieved the best achievements with them.

4- Khaled Badra

The Tunisian international had a very successful career with Al Ahli where he played for a season in 2002 before coming back in 2007 after a period with ES Tunis.

5- Thiago Neves

The Brazilian played for Al Hilal for 4 consecutive seasons in what were considered the best of his career.

6- Ahmad Bahja

The Moroccan international Ahmad Bahja played for three big clubs in Saudi Arabia: Al Hilal, Al Ittihad and Al Nassr.

7- Tariq Al Taeb

One of the most skillful players in Saudi League history, Tariq Al Taeb played for Al Hilal in some of his best seasons and later on moved to Al Shabab.

8- Elton Jose

Elton Jose played for Al Nassr then Al Fateh and currently plays for Al Qadisiyah, he was one of the best free kick takers in Saudi League history.

9- Imad Al Hosani

The Omani striker played three good seasons for Al Ahli where he scored 32 goals, before leaving for Al Nassr.

10- Chico

The Brazilian star achieved two consecutive Asian Champions League titles with Al Ittihad.

11- Sergio Ricardo

The Brazilian goalscorer achieved great things with Al Hilal, Al Ahli and Al Ittihad.

12- Tarak Dhiab

One of the most respectful and excellent players on the pitch, he led Al Ahli to the Saudi King’s Cup in 1976.

13- Rivelino

Widely known as the most famous player to come to the Saudi League, Rivelino only achieved two titles during his time at Al Hilal.

14- Ohein Kennedy

The Ghanaian was signed at the age of 20 and didn’t start off well with Al Nassr, but went onto achieve two titles with the club and qualify for the FIFA Club World Cup.

15- Tavares

The Brazilian defender achieved 6 titles during his time at Al Hilal.