Saudi beach soccer team breaks into world top 20 for first time

Saudi Arabia's national beach soccer team has entered the world's top 20 for the first time in its history, climbing to 17th globally and fifth in Asia in the September rankings released by Beach Soccer Worldwide.

This achievement crowns a steady rise for the team since returning to international competition in 2019 after a nearly five-year hiatus, when it was ranked 114th in the world.

Since its return, the Saudi team has gradually improved its position, moving up to 98th globally in 2020 and then to 95th in 2021.

The year 2022 saw a significant leap, with the team rising to 50th, then 35th, and finishing the year ranked 31st worldwide.

Progress continued in 2023, as the team moved from 29th to 25th, then reached 23rd, which at the time was its highest-ever ranking.

With its latest jump in September to 17th globally and fifth in Asia, the Saudi team has advanced 97 places since resuming international play in 2019, achieving its best-ever world ranking.

This steady progress reflects the ongoing improvement of the Saudi beach soccer team, which has climbed from 114th to 17th in just a few years.