Football in Saudi Arabia has a rich past and had flourished in the western parts of the country. By the 1950's, the game of soccer had gained tremendous popularity in the country and in 1957, a system of national championships was started in the country. Since the early 1980's, Saudi Arabian football team had represented the country in various national and international competitions.
The Saudi Arabian soccer team qualified for the first time for the Olympics in the year 1984. In 1989, the Saudi Arabian country hosted the fifth World Youth Soccer Cup Championship and won it. The same year, they received a special recommendation by FIFA for the excellent manner in which they organized the event. In 1994, the Saudi soccer team represented Asia at the World Cup Finals in United States and reached the second level. The team also took part in the Atlanta Olympics 1996 and 2000 Sydney Olympics. In 2006, Saudi Arabia won the Learning Disability World Cup in Germany.
