Youth Showdown: Round 8 Sparks in Saudi Arabia’s Elite U21 League — Standings, Fixtures, and How to Watch

All you need to know about Round 8 of Saudi Arabia’s JOY Elite League for the Under-21s: a week packed with eye-catching derbies, tight standings, and the best ways to catch the action on your screen.

What is the JOY Elite U21 League?

Launched by the Saudi Football Federation as part of a comprehensive youth development plan, the JOY Elite League for the Under-21 category is backed by STC for two seasons starting in 2025-2026. The project was approved in January 2025 and kicked off its first edition on September 15, 2025, with 24 clubs participating. Its aim is to close the gap between youth teams and the first teams by providing meaningful minutes and real development opportunities for talented young players.

The competition runs in two stages: a league phase featuring 24 teams (18 from the top division and 6 from the lower tier) each playing 20 matches, and a knockout phase. The top four advance directly to the quarterfinals, while teams finishing fifth to twelfth compete in a playoff to determine the remaining two quarterfinalists, with the knockout rounds continuing until the final to crown the champion.

Round 8 fixtures, channels and standings

Broadcast rights for the JOY Elite League Under-21 are held by STC TV, with matches accessible via watch.stctv.com/e/fcu21. The Round 8 lineup, played over Sunday 30 November and Monday 1 December 2025, includes 12 matches:

1) Al-Ettifaq vs Al-Fateh — Sunday, 30 November 2025, 17:25 Saudi, 18:25 UAE — at Al-Ettifaq Club Stadium.

2) Al-Najma vs Al-Bukairiyah — Sunday, 30 November 2025, 17:50 SA, 18:50 UAE — at Al-Najma Stadium.

3) Al-Hazm vs Al-Adalah — Sunday, 30 November 2025, 17:55 SA, 18:55 UAE — at Al-Hazm Stadium.

4) Damac vs Al-Raed — Sunday, 30 November 2025, 17:10 SA, 18:10 UAE — at Damac Club Stadium.

5) Neom vs Al-Jabalain — Sunday, 30 November 2025, 17:15 SA, 18:15 UAE — at Tabuk Stadium.

6) Al-Nassr vs Al-Ahli — Sunday, 30 November 2025, 19:00 SA, 20:00 UAE — at Riyadh Club Stadium.

7) Al-Fayha vs Al-Wehda — Monday, 1 December 2025, 16:50 SA, 17:50 UAE — at Al-Fayha Stadium.

8) Al-Taawon vs Al-Khaleej — Monday, 1 December 2025, 16:50 SA, 17:50 UAE — at Ta’awon Stadium.

9) Al-Kholood vs Al-Riyadh — Monday, 1 December 2025, 16:55 SA, 17:55 UAE — at Al-Kholood Stadium.

10) Al-Khoood vs Al-Arabi — Monday, 1 December 2025, 17:05 SA, 18:05 UAE — at Al-Kholood Stadium.

11) Al-Ittihad vs Al-Qadisya — Monday, 1 December 2025, 18:20 SA, 19:20 UAE — at Al-Ittihad Stadium.

12) Al-Hilal vs Al-Shabab — Monday, 1 December 2025, 20:15 SA, 21:15 UAE — at Al-Hilal Stadium.

In addition to the fixtures, the article notes how this round fits into the broader competition, highlighting that all games air on STC TV and urging fans to subscribe to watch the action live.

Standings after seven rounds show Al-Ettifaq leading the pack with 21 points from seven wins. Al-Ittihad sits second with 19 points, followed closely by Al-Nassr on 18, and a tight group of challengers including Al-Taawon, Al-Hazm, and Damac vying for a place in the upper fold. This format emphasizes both league performance and knockout potential as teams jockey for position heading into the business end of the season.

For fans looking to dive in, the official streaming option remains STC TV via watch.stctv.com/e/fcu21, with a straightforward path to watching all Round 8 action live from the comfort of home or on the go.

Round 8 is a telling snapshot of the league’s ambition: it blends high-stakes fixtures with a structure designed to accelerate youth development, offering a bridge from academy football to the pro ranks. It’s a league that wants to cultivate the next batch of Saudi talent, while giving fans a fresh landscape of emerging stars to cheer on as they gear up for bigger stages.

Want to watch the full lineup? Check out STC TV’s broadcast page and tune in for the derbies, the drama, and the potential future stars in action. Watch JOY Elite League Under-21 on STC TV.

In short, Round 8 promises fireworks, clever play, and plenty of chances for youth to shine. And if you miss a goal, don’t blame the camera—blame the snacks, they’re always the ones stealing the show when you’re trying to stay focused. Punchline time: If predicting results were a sniper job, I’d be aiming for a last-minute winner every time. And my other shot? Perfectly timing the snack break so you miss nothing but the half-time crowd going wild. End result: the league delivers, and so do the punchlines.