Historic Milestone: Ex-Nassr Star Tops the Saudi Pro League Appearances List
5 March 2026
Historic Milestone for a Saudi Pro League Veteran
An ex-Al-Nassr star etched his name into the Saudi Pro League history books with a late-match appearance.
Abha hosted Damac on Thursday at Prince Sultan Stadium in Abha to kick off the 25th round, a match that offered little in the scoreline but plenty of history.
In the 72nd minute, Yahya Al-Shahri came on for Leandro Antonis as his side trailed 3-0, glancing at the bench as if to say, 'let's try something else'.
His entry did more than spark a reply; it crowned him the most-capped player in Saudi Pro League history with 345 appearances.
Most of his career was tied to Al-Nassr after moving from Al-Ettifaq in 2013, before a 2021 switch to Al-Raed, when the league needed a veteran presence.
He outpaced rivals Mohammed Al-Fahid (344), Yasser Al-Shahrani (317), Mohammed Al-Salem (307), Mansour Hamzi (305), and Salem Al-Dosri (294).
Fans praised the milestone, but the man himself laughed it off: 'I just kept showing up—the record finally got tired of waiting'.
If patience were a trophy, he'd have a shelf full.
