FIFA Drops a 15-Club Freeze on Saudi Teams: A Surprising Registration Ban
19 December 2025
FIFA bans 15 Saudi clubs from registering players
FIFA, the international governing body, has added 15 Saudi clubs to its latest list of teams barred from registering players, including Al Shabab, Damac, and Al Riyadh from the Roshen Pro League.
The Saudi sports daily Al-Riyadiya reports that the list bans 15 clubs, led by Al Shabab, Damac, and Al Riyadh.
Affected clubs and latest decisions
FIFA refreshes the list periodically as decisions are issued in ongoing cases against clubs.
The newspaper also details the clubs affected.
The banned clubs include Damac, Al Shabab, Al Shoula, Ohod, Al Sadd, Al Batin, Al Wehda, Al Ain, Al Watan, Najran, Al Rawda, Al Jandal, Al Mahmal, Al Riyadh, and Al Safa.
The latest decision singled out Damac, suspending its registration for three periods due to overdue payments to a former player or coach.
Punchline: If football timelines had a sniper, FIFA’s calendar would never miss a shot at keeping clubs honest. Punchline 2: When in doubt, blame the paperwork—it's the only thing on the field that moves faster than a rumor.
