King Abdullah Sports City Breaks Records: History of Greatest Moments

The King Abdullah Sports City Stadium continues to set new records and amaze fans not only in Saudi Arabia but around the world. Since its opening in May 2014, the arena has been the site of historic sporting events. The first match, held on May 1, 2014, between Al Ahli and Al Shabab in the King's Cup final, was memorable for its atmosphere: it was on this day that Al Shabab won their first victory and title at the new stadium, marking an important beginning for the complex.

The magnificent opening confirmed the status of the arena, when the attendance record reached 62,241 spectators. This event, which coincided with the match between Al Ahli and Al Shabab, was a clear indicator of the stadium's popularity from the first hours of its operation. Notably, the Saudi Pro League’s highest attendance record was set on 1 December 2014, when 60,134 people came to watch a match between local Al-Ittihad and Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal. Although the game ended in a 0-0 draw, the event’s success continued to gain momentum.

The stadium has also been the scene of many teams’ first major events. The first local derby between Al-Ahli and Al-Ittihad, held on 19 December 2014, as part of the Saudi Arabian Premier League, ended 1-1 and attracted 59,026 spectators. In addition to the massive attendance, King Abdullah Sports City has also set individual records, with Fernando Menegazzo becoming the first to open the scoring with a penalty, while Muhannad Assiri scored the first goal of the game on the opening day. Another highlight was Al Ahly striker Umar Al-Suma, who scored his first hat-trick against Hajer on 16 August 2014.

There were also incidents, with Al Ahly defender Agil Balgait receiving the stadium’s first red card on the opening day. King Abdullah Sports City has also left its mark on the international stage, with Saudi Arabia beating East Timor 7-0 on 3 September 2015, recording their biggest home win. And on 16 October 2018, a new attendance record was set, with 62,345 spectators in the Superclasico de las Americas between Argentina and Brazil. For those who dream of witnessing such events, on our website you can find information to buy tickets and immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the world football festival.