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A team awaiting a city of dreams: Neom writes an unfamiliar Saudi story

An exceptional story: a bet on the future

Neom Sports Club keep building their identity in Saudi football alongside the Neom development project in the north-west of the Kingdom. Prominent names such as Alexandre Lacazette and Saïd Benrahma have arrived, and the team have already completed a full season in the Saudi Pro League.

For now, Neom play their matches at the King Khalid Sports City Stadium in Tabuk, which holds around 12,000 spectators, until their future stadium within the Neom project is finished.

The club ties directly to the Neom project, home to a number of major developments in Saudi Arabia's north-west. Among them is "The Line", the urban scheme that stands as one of the main pillars of the region's future vision.

Football looks set to feature in that vision. Saudi Arabia's plans to host the 2034 World Cup include the Neom Stadium project, proposed to hold more than 46,000 spectators, before it becomes Neom's home ground after the tournament.

Spanish newspaperAS ran a report on the Saudi club on Monday, under the headline "Neom: a football club for a city that does not (yet) exist".

From the Falcons to Neom
The Spanish newspaper said: "The club has a history that predates its association with the NEOM project, having been founded in 1965. Through various stages it was known as Al-Suqour Club before being renamed NEOM Sports Club as part of the broader investment in Saudi sport."
Promotion to the Saudi Pro League (Roshn) in 2025 sparked a transformation at team level too. NEOM went on to land a string of well-known names, including Lacazette from Lyon and former West Ham man Said Benrahma, alongside Nathan Zeze, Luciano Rodriguez and ex-Saudi national team and Al-Hilal captain Salman Al-Faraj.
Frenchman Christophe Galtier, who has previously coached Paris Saint-Germain, Lille and Nice, took charge as head coach.
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NEOM ended their first Saudi Pro League campaign in 2025-2026 in eighth place out of 18 teams. They won 12 of their 34 matches and collected 45 points.
Lacazette led the way as top scorer with 11 goals, one ahead of Benrahma.
Bigger targets await in the coming period, in tandem with the continued work on NEOM projects and the development of the associated sporting infrastructure.
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Future stadium
Neom Stadium is set to form part of "The Line" project. Designers have built it to hold more than 46,000 spectators at a height of over 1,150 feet above ground level, according to the vision set out in the 2034 World Cup bid file.
Neom Club, meanwhile, sit in a transitional phase as the project develops. They currently play at existing stadiums while preparing for a future tied to new sporting facilities within the Neom project.
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The newspaper AS concluded: "This creates one of the strangest relationships between a football team and the place it represents. Most clubs carry the history of their home city wherever they go. Neom Sports Club carries the name of a city that is still under construction."
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From the Falcons to Neom

Future stadium

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