DUBAI: Kings League MENA has revealed its final two teams and the opening fixtures for Split 1 at its Unboxing Show, completing the competition’s 10-team lineup and setting up blockbuster storylines ahead of kickoff on Sept. 18 in Riyadh. 

All 10 team presidents engaged in lively exchanges during the recent special preseason Unboxing Show livestream, for the Middle East North Africa contest.

Two new Saudi Arabia team presidents, Raed of RA2 and Abdulrahman Alshahri of Rising Peaks, join the roster of eight previously announced sides. This takes Saudi representation to three teams alongside returning side DR7, led by Drb7h.

Fixtures on the opening matchdays include a rerun of the DR7 vs. FWZ final at the Kings Cup MENA last year.

There is also a Jordanian derby between 3BS and Red Zone that will have team co-presidents and Jordan national football team stars Yazan Al-Naimat (3BS) and Ali Olwan (Red Zone) go head-to-head.

“MENA is one of the world’s most exciting and fast-growing sports and entertainment markets, and Split 1 marks a major new chapter for Kings League MENA,” said Wael Al-Fayez, managing director of Kings League MENA.

He added: “With our first full championship season, 10 incredible teams, including three Saudi teams and presidents representing passionate communities from across the Arab world, we are ready to deliver an unforgettable experience both online and inside the arena.”

Kings League MENA Split 1 will run from Sept. 18 to Oct. 30 at Cool Arena, Riyadh Boulevard, and is the regional competition’s first full-length season.

It is expanding to 10 teams following the inaugural eight-team Kings Cup MENA in 2025.

The MENA competition is part of the Kings League’s global competitions that includes seven regional men’s leagues that includes Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico and Spain.

It also has two women’s Queens Leagues (Mexico and Spain), and international tournaments including the Kings World Cup Clubs and Kings World Cup Nations.

Teams span Arab world

Kings League MENA Split 1 features 10 teams representing football markets and fan communities across the MENA region.

Saudi Arabia is represented by DR7 led by Drb7h, RA2 by Raed, and Rising Peaks by Abdulrahman Alshahri.

ABO FC (AboFlah) contest for Qatar, FWZ (Fwaz) for Kuwait, Turbo (Tarboun) for Egypt, Bakhira FC (Younes Zarou and Achraf Sabiri) and Ultra Chmicha (Ilyas Elmaliki) for Morocco, and 3BS (Absi) and Red Zone (Maherco) for Jordan.

Competition format

Kings League MENA Split 1 opens with a round-robin stage in which each of the 10 teams plays every other once, across nine matchdays. The top-placed team after the league stage advances directly to the semifinals.

The remaining semifinal places are decided by a three-match quarterfinal round with second place vs. seventh, third vs. sixth, and fourth vs. fifth.

The competition culminates in the Final Four on Oct. 30, when both semifinals and the Final are played on the same day at Cool Arena.

Tickets

Tickets went on sale on the WeBook platform on Saturday night during the Unboxing Show.

Where to watch

Fans across the region can follow every match for free via the personal streaming channels of the team presidents and on Kings League MENA’s official channels, on Kick, YouTube, TikTok, and Twitch.

Live match coverage will also be available through official broadcast partner MBC Group, across the MBC Action channel and Shahid streaming platform.