45 Roshn Saudi League players called up for international duty

RIYADH: Forty-five Roshn Saudi League players have been called up to represent their countries in the November 2023 international break.

Additionally, 28 RSL players have been included in Saudi Arabia’s squad for the two matches against Pakistan and Jordan in the second round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Of the 45 international players, Al-Nassr and Damac sent the most, with five players from each of the two clubs selected. Four players were called up for national duty from each of Al-Hilal, Al-Ettifaq and Al-Shabab, while Al-Ahli, Al-Fayha, Al-Wehda, Abha and Al-Hazem saw three of their players report for international duties.

With 27 different countries represented, Morocco and Senegal lead the nations represented by RSL players, with each squad featuring four Saudi-based players, while each of Portugal, Senegal, Romania, Cameroon, Gambia and Cote d’Ivoire has three RSL representatives in their senior squads.

Only one of the 17 RSL clubs had no foreign players reporting for international duty this month. Star midfielders N’Golo Kante and Fabinho, from defending champions Al-Ittihad, were left absent from the France and Brazil squads, respectively.

Below is a list of all RSL players called up for international duty this window:

Al-Nassr: Cristiano Ronaldo, Otavio (Portugal), Marcelo Brozovic (Croatia), Sadio Mane (Senegal), Seko Fofana (Cote d’Ivoire).

Damac: Moustapha Zeghba (Algeria), Tarek Hamed (Egypt), Assan Ceesay (Gambia), Georges-Kevin N’Koudou (Cameroon), Nicolae Stanciu (Romania).

Al-Hilal: Yassine Bono (Morocco), Kalidou Koulibaly (Senegal), Ruben Neves (Portugal), Aleksandar Mitrovic (Serbia).

Al-Ahli: Edouard Mendy (Senegal), Franck Kessie (Cote d’Ivoire), Riyad Mahrez