Al-Hilal have the league's most valuable squad (€239.88m) and lead the table with 24 points, but earn only about 0.10 points per €1m, among the lowest in the league. Only Al-Ahli are lower (18 points from €193.9m).
Back to the trend of the day: Brazilian star's late header keeps Al-Hilal top of Saudi league
Poly Rating · from the trend of the day
Saudi Pro League Squad Value vs Points 2026-27
Al-Hazem's €13.35m squad has earned about 0.67 points per €1m of squad value, almost seven times Al-Hilal's 0.10 from €240m, and Al-Hilal still needed an 89th-minute header to beat them 1-0.
- No. 1: Al-Ettifaq
- 10 places
01Final list
The leading AIs each built their own list of ten independently. Here is one result that is easy to check: every place has a reason, a source, and the list of AIs that included it.
Order: from most to least AI agreement.
A bright badge means this AI put the entry on its list. A dim badge means it did not.
- 1
Al-Ettifaq
The best value outside the bottom half: 0.35 points per €1m, 15 points from €42.75m, 7th in the table against 9th by value. 15 points vs 12.1 xPts suggests some luck.
Included it: Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Nemotron, DeepSeek. Did not include: Meta, Kimi, Wenxin.In their lists: Claude: 1 · ChatGPT: 9 · Gemini: 5 · Nemotron: 5 · DeepSeek: 2
What each AI noted 5
- Claudeplace 1
15 points from a squad valued at only about €42.75m, which is roughly 0.35 points per €1m, the best value ratio of the clubs with known values and more than three times Al-Hilal's.
Source ↗ - ChatGPTplace 9
A negative xG difference but +1.8 goals versus xG suggests some finishing or variance is papering over limited chance balance.
Source ↗ - Geminiplace 5
Collected 15 points in 9 games for 2026–27 at €42.75 million valuation, staying level with teams possessing triple their roster budget.
Source ↗ - Nemotronplace 5
5th place on €42.1M — 8-place positive gap, Gerrard's system beating xG by +1.8
- DeepSeekplace 2
€42.8m squad, 15 points and an xG difference of -0.4: mid-budget, top-seven, no luck spike.
Source ↗
5 AIs put it here - 2
Al-Khaleej
0.54 points per €1m: 12 points from a €22.1m squad, ahead of richer clubs mostly through six draws in 10 games. Its 11.2 xPts says neither lucky nor unlucky.
Included it: Claude, Gemini, Nemotron, DeepSeek. Did not include: ChatGPT, Meta, Kimi, Wenxin.In their lists: Claude: 9 · Gemini: 3 · Nemotron: 2 · DeepSeek: 6
What each AI noted 4
- Claudeplace 9
Six draws in 10 games keep it in 10th with 12 points, close to its 11.2 xPts, so it is neither lucky nor unlucky.
Source ↗ - Geminiplace 3
Turned a modest €22.1 million valuation into 11 early-season points, sitting 10th with five times the points-per-euro return of Al-Ahli.
- Nemotronplace 2
Newly promoted, 9th place on €19.2M — 1.2x overperformance vs xG, 0.52 pts/€1M
- DeepSeekplace 6
€22.1m squad, 12 points from 10 games: grinding points without creating chances.
Source ↗
4 AIs put it here - 3
Al-Kholood
Would be No. 1 at 0.70 per €1m if its 12 points (BBC table) are right. Another AI gives 7 points (0.41), so the points are disputed. Squad value: €17.08m.
Included it: ChatGPT, Gemini, DeepSeek. Did not include: Claude, Meta, Nemotron, Kimi, Wenxin.In their lists: ChatGPT: 8 · Gemini: 7 · DeepSeek: 1
What each AI noted 3
- ChatGPTplace 8
FotMob’s 17.2 xG against 14 goals is a finishing overperformance; its 1.82 xGA per game says the defense is giving opponents chances.
Source ↗ - Geminiplace 7
Maintains survival comfort on a €17.08 million roster while conceding 18% fewer high-probability chances than pre-season statistical models projected.
Source ↗ - DeepSeekplace 1
€17.1m squad, 12 points: the league's cheapest points factory.
Source ↗
3 AIs put it here - 4
Al-Qadsiah
The best value among the big spenders: 0.145 points per €1m, 2nd in the table with a squad worth €87m less than Al-Hilal's. Its +12.6 xG difference shows skill, not luck.
Included it: Claude, ChatGPT, DeepSeek. Did not include: Meta, Gemini, Nemotron, Kimi, Wenxin.In their lists: Claude: 3 · ChatGPT: 2 · DeepSeek: 3
What each AI noted 3
- Claudeplace 3
Second in the table with 22 points from a squad valued at €143m, fourth in the league, and with the second-best xPts (18.3).
Source ↗ - ChatGPTplace 2
A 2.56 xG per game with goals level to xG points to repeatable chance creation rather than an obvious finishing hot streak.
Source ↗ - DeepSeekplace 3
€152m squad, 22 points and a +12.6 xG difference: the only big-ish spender that buys real chances.
Source ↗
3 AIs put it here - 5
Al-Riyadh
About 0.61–0.65 points per €1m (9 points; squad €14.78m or €13.78m, depending on the AI). Its -7.5 xG difference makes this the most luck-dependent efficiency in the league.
Included it: Gemini, Nemotron, DeepSeek. Did not include: Claude, ChatGPT, Meta, Kimi, Wenxin.In their lists: Gemini: 4 · Nemotron: 3 · DeepSeek: 5
What each AI noted 3
- Geminiplace 4
Gained 9 points from their first 8 fixtures of 2026–27 on a €13.78 million squad, posting a 0.65 points-per-euro ratio that shames the top four.
Source ↗ - Nemotronplace 3
10th place on €17.8M budget — 7-place value-to-table gap, defensive xG outperformer
Source ↗ - DeepSeekplace 5
€14.8m squad, 9 points, but a -7.5 xG difference: the most luck-dependent efficiency in the league.
Source ↗
3 AIs put it here - 6
NEOM SC
0.19 points per €1m: 16 points from €83.28m, 6th in both value and the table. With 16 points against 15.0 xPts, these points are earned, not lucky.
Included it: Claude, ChatGPT, DeepSeek. Did not include: Meta, Gemini, Nemotron, Kimi, Wenxin.In their lists: Claude: 2 · ChatGPT: 5 · DeepSeek: 10
What each AI noted 3
- Claudeplace 2
The newly promoted club has 16 points from an €82m squad, and its points sit almost exactly on its xPts (15.0), so this is skill, not luck.
Source ↗ - ChatGPTplace 5
A modest 1.32 xG per game and positive goal overperformance make NEOM an intriguing efficiency case, though nine matches make it hard to compare directly.
Source ↗ - DeepSeekplace 10
€83.3m squad, 16 points, exactly par: no gap, but no waste either.
Source ↗
3 AIs put it here - 7
Al-Hazem
0.67 points per €1m: 9 points from the league's cheapest squad (€13.35m), 11th against 18th by value. But its FotMob xG difference of -7.7 is the league's worst.
Included it: Claude, Gemini, DeepSeek. Did not include: ChatGPT, Meta, Nemotron, Kimi, Wenxin.In their lists: Claude: 10 · Gemini: 2 · DeepSeek: 4
What each AI noted 3
- Claudeplace 10
The club that held Al-Hilal to 1-0 until the late goal has 9 points from 10 games, in line with its 9.4 xPts.
Source ↗ - Geminiplace 2
Held €240m Al-Hilal scoreless until the 89th minute on October 19, 2026, while extracting 0.75 points per €1 million from the league's leanest squad.
Source ↗ - DeepSeekplace 4
€13.4m squad, +7 places above its value rank: the biggest overachiever, but xG says cling to the life raft.
Source ↗
3 AIs put it here - 8
Al-Fayha
0.44 points per €1m: 7 points from a €15.78m squad. It has conceded 2.6 goals fewer than its xGA, so goalkeeping is holding up a -6.0 xG difference.
Included it: Gemini, Nemotron, DeepSeek. Did not include: Claude, ChatGPT, Meta, Kimi, Wenxin.In their lists: Gemini: 6 · Nemotron: 6 · DeepSeek: 8
What each AI noted 3
- Geminiplace 6
Kept within a goal difference of -6 despite fielding a €15.78 million roster that costs less than one Neymar or Mahrez annual compensation package.
Source ↗ - Nemotronplace 6
8th place on €22.4M — compact defense conceding 2.1 fewer goals than xGA
Source ↗ - DeepSeekplace 8
€15.8m squad, 7 points: defensive xG numbers suggest they deserve more.
Source ↗
3 AIs put it here - 9
Al-Diriyah
About 0.17 points per €1m (12 points, squad about €72.3m by an estimate from one source). It is unlucky: 8 goals from 12.4–13.5 xG.
Included it: Claude, ChatGPT. Did not include: Meta, Gemini, Nemotron, Kimi, DeepSeek, Wenxin.In their lists: Claude: 7 · ChatGPT: 6
What each AI noted 2
- Claudeplace 7
A €72.3m squad ranks high on points per €1m (about 0.17), but its 12 points trail its 13.4 xPts, so it is slightly unlucky.
Source ↗ - ChatGPTplace 6
Only eight goals from 13.5 FotMob xG is a striking finishing shortfall; the evidence suggests more chance creation than the scoreline shows.
Source ↗
2 AIs put it here - 10
Al-Faisaly
0.52 points per €1m: 7 points from a €13.4m squad, 15th against 17th by value. Only one AI gives this, and its -6.7 xG difference says the chances are thin.
Included it: DeepSeek. Did not include: Claude, ChatGPT, Meta, Gemini, Nemotron, Kimi, Wenxin.In their lists: DeepSeek: 7
What each AI noted 1
- DeepSeekplace 7
€13.4m squad, 7 points: the cheapest squad in the league is still above its value rank.
Source ↗
1 AIs put it here
02Worth knowing
What the AIs noticed while building the list.
Al-Hilal's 1-0 win over Al-Hazem came from Martinelli's 89th-minute header after 21 shots. Across the season they have 26 goals from 25.5 xG and a +20 goal difference, so narrow wins are the exception, not the pattern.
Al-Nassr (3rd, €136.58m, 0.139 points per €1m) have scored 19 goals from only 13.9 xG on statz.ai (15.7 on FotMob). That finishing run may cool.
Al-Taawoun have the league's biggest gap below expected: 4 goals from 11.7–12.46 xG, and 4 points against 11.3 xPts. One AI's 1.74 points per €1m for the club comes from the 2025-26 season, not this one.
Squad values differ by source. Al-Hilal are €239.88m on Transfermarkt, €222m on Sofascore and €208m in an earlier preview. The league total is about €1.19bn, but one AI gives €1.28bn.
03How we counted
In plain words, no formulas.
1The question
Top 10 Saudi Pro League Clubs That Get the Most Out of Their Money
2Why this topic
It sets squad values against points and expected goals, so the reader sees which clubs get the most from their money. Neither the value list nor the table shows this alone.
3Where it applies
Saudi Pro League (Saudi Arabia), 2025-26 season and current 2026-27 table
4What we looked at
- League points per €1 million of squad value
- Gap between a club's squad-value rank and its league-table rank
- Goals scored and conceded compared with expected goals (xG), to separate skill from luck
- Transfermarkt — Estimated market value of each club's squad in euros, 2026-27. These are estimates, not spending or wages.
- ESPN / BBC Saudi Pro League table — Points, games played, goal difference and league position on 19 October 2026. Clubs have played 8 to 10 games.
- FotMob (Opta) — xG difference per team: chances created minus chances conceded.
- statz.ai (Sportmonks data) — Goals and xG for and against, plus expected points (xPts), updated 19 October 2026.
- MatchPulse — Goals minus xG and goals conceded minus xGA, which show finishing and goalkeeping luck.
5Who ranked
The leading AIs, each building its own list of ten independently and naming a source for every place: Claude, ChatGPT, Meta, Gemini, Nemotron, Kimi, DeepSeek, Wenxin.
6How the places were set
The same entry written differently by different AIs was counted as one. The more AIs put an entry on their list, and the higher they put it, the higher its place. "AI agreement" shows how many of the AIs had it on their own list. Sources are only those the AIs found themselves; nothing was added by hand.
04Each AI's own list
🇺🇸 Claude10 places · 4 notes
The same question, answered by Claude alone. The final list above combines all the AIs.
- 1Al-Ettifaq
15 points from a squad valued at only about €42.75m, which is roughly 0.35 points per €1m, the best value ratio of the clubs with known values and more than three times Al-Hilal's.
Source ↗ - 2Neom SC
The newly promoted club has 16 points from an €82m squad, and its points sit almost exactly on its xPts (15.0), so this is skill, not luck.
Source ↗ - 3Al-Qadsiah
Second in the table with 22 points from a squad valued at €143m, fourth in the league, and with the second-best xPts (18.3).
Source ↗ - 4Al-Nassr
Third in the table (19 points) from the league's fifth-most valuable squad (€137m), but with 19 goals from only 13.9 xG, the attack looks flattered.
Source ↗ - 5Al-Hilal
The most valuable squad (€222m) leads the table with 24 points and the best underlying numbers (25.5 xG created, 9.3 conceded), so the 1-0 win over Al-Hazem looks like an exception, not the pattern.
Source ↗ - 6Al-Ittihad
17 points from 8 games against 12.7 xPts: a third-ranked squad (€150m) sitting fifth thanks to results its chances do not fully back.
Source ↗ - 7Al-Diriyah
A €72.3m squad ranks high on points per €1m (about 0.17), but its 12 points trail its 13.4 xPts, so it is slightly unlucky.
Source ↗ - 8Al-Ahli
The second most valuable squad (€220m) is fourth in the table with 18 points, about 0.08 per €1m, the lowest ratio among clubs with known values.
Source ↗ - 9Al-Khaleej
Six draws in 10 games keep it in 10th with 12 points, close to its 11.2 xPts, so it is neither lucky nor unlucky.
Source ↗ - 10Al-Hazem
The club that held Al-Hilal to 1-0 until the late goal has 9 points from 10 games, in line with its 9.4 xPts.
Source ↗
What Claude noticed
Al-Ettifaq's squad is valued at about €42.75m, against €222m for Al-Hilal, yet Ettifaq has 15 points to Hilal's 24. That is more than three times the points per €1m.
Al-Nassr are third with 19 points from the league's fifth-most valuable squad, but they have scored 19 goals from only 13.9 xG. Their defence is the stronger result: 7 conceded against 5.9 xG against.
Al-Hilal's goal difference of +20 and 26 goals from 25.5 xG show a dominant team. A late 1-0 win is the exception.
Al-Taawoun have only 4 points but 11.3 xPts, the biggest shortfall in the league (about 7 points). Their 4 goals come from 12.4 xG.
🇺🇸 ChatGPT10 places · 4 notes
The same question, answered by ChatGPT alone. The final list above combines all the AIs.
- 1Al-Hilal Saudi Pro League 2026–27
The strongest underlying attack is also the most expensive: 31.4 FotMob xG in eight matches, but only 21 points in the official page’s eight-match snapshot.
Source ↗ - 2Al-Qadsiah Saudi Pro League 2026–27
A 2.56 xG per game with goals level to xG points to repeatable chance creation rather than an obvious finishing hot streak.
Source ↗ - 3Al-Nassr Saudi Pro League 2026–27
The clearest budget-efficiency contender: OddAlerts gives them the league’s tightest xGA, while warning that their +5.1 goals over xG may cool.
Source ↗ - 4Al-Ahli Saudi Pro League 2026–27
The attack is producing 2.73 xG per match, but its seven-match sample makes any points-per-value verdict provisional.
- 5NEOM SC Saudi Pro League 2026–27
A modest 1.32 xG per game and positive goal overperformance make NEOM an intriguing efficiency case, though nine matches make it hard to compare directly.
Source ↗ - 6Al-Diriyah Saudi Pro League 2026–27
Only eight goals from 13.5 FotMob xG is a striking finishing shortfall; the evidence suggests more chance creation than the scoreline shows.
Source ↗ - 7Al-Ittihad Saudi Pro League 2026–27
A 1.91 xG per game has yielded just 14 goals in FotMob’s table, leaving room for improvement rather than evidence of lucky finishing.
Source ↗ - 8Al-Kholood Saudi Pro League 2026–27
FotMob’s 17.2 xG against 14 goals is a finishing overperformance; its 1.82 xGA per game says the defense is giving opponents chances.
Source ↗ - 9Al-Ettifaq Saudi Pro League 2026–27
A negative xG difference but +1.8 goals versus xG suggests some finishing or variance is papering over limited chance balance.
Source ↗ - 10Al-Taawoun Saudi Pro League 2026–27
Four goals from 11.7 FotMob xG is the ranking’s sharpest warning that chance volume alone has not translated into points-producing goals.
Source ↗
What ChatGPT noticed
Al-Hilal’s 1–0 win over Al-Hazem was decided by an 89th-minute Gabriel Martinelli header after 21 reported shots. It is a useful reminder that a narrow scoreline can coexist with substantial chance creation; it does not alone establish that the team relied on luck.
Al-Nassr’s +4.8 goals over xG in FootInsights contrasts with NEOM’s +2.1 and Al-Qadsiah’s 0.0. The ranking therefore treats Al-Nassr’s results as impressive but partly vulnerable to finishing variance.
Al-Taawoun scored four from 12.46 xG in OddAlerts’ model, while FotMob lists four from 11.7. Both models flag the same underperformance even though their expected totals differ.
This is a provisional efficiency ranking, not a precise points-per-€1m leaderboard: accessible current sources did not provide a synchronized October 19 set of each club’s squad value, table points, and xG.
🇺🇸 Gemini10 places · 3 notes
The same question, answered by Gemini alone. The final list above combines all the AIs.
- 1Al-Taawoun FC
Produced 1.74 points per €1 million of squad value across 2025–26, outpacing four sovereign-funded rivals on less than one-seventh of Al-Hilal's wage sheet.
Source ↗ - 2Al-Hazem SC
Held €240m Al-Hilal scoreless until the 89th minute on October 19, 2026, while extracting 0.75 points per €1 million from the league's leanest squad.
Source ↗ - 3Al-Khaleej FC
Turned a modest €22.1 million valuation into 11 early-season points, sitting 10th with five times the points-per-euro return of Al-Ahli.
- 4Al-Riyadh SC
Gained 9 points from their first 8 fixtures of 2026–27 on a €13.78 million squad, posting a 0.65 points-per-euro ratio that shames the top four.
Source ↗ - 5Al-Ettifaq FC
Collected 15 points in 9 games for 2026–27 at €42.75 million valuation, staying level with teams possessing triple their roster budget.
Source ↗ - 6Al-Fayha FC
Kept within a goal difference of -6 despite fielding a €15.78 million roster that costs less than one Neymar or Mahrez annual compensation package.
Source ↗ - 7Al-Kholood Club
Maintains survival comfort on a €17.08 million roster while conceding 18% fewer high-probability chances than pre-season statistical models projected.
Source ↗ - 8Al-Fateh SC
Carries a €24.10 million squad with an underlying expected points tally 3.2 points higher than their actual table standing, pointing to imminent positive reversion.
- 9Al-Ittihad Club
The only PIF powerhouse yielding positive expenditure ROI, ranking 4th in squad value at €147.30m while holding 2nd place and out-creating their xG by 14%.
Source ↗ - 10Al-Hilal SFC
Generates a rock-bottom 0.10 points per €1 million, yet converts their league-high €240 million squad into pure clutch dominance, evidenced by Gabriel Martinelli's 89th-minute decider against Al-Hazem.
Source ↗
What Gemini noticed
The top 4 sovereign-backed clubs (Al-Hilal, Al-Ahli, Al-Qadsiah, Al-Ittihad) control over €730 million—representing more than 57% of the total Saudi Pro League valuation (€1.28 billion)—yet mid-table Al-Taawoun produced more points per euro than all four combined.
Gabriel Martinelli's 89th-minute match-winning header for Al-Hilal against Al-Hazem on October 19, 2026, epitomizes the spending divide: Al-Hazem's entire 28-man squad (€13.35m) is valued at less than half of Martinelli's individual valuation.
Opta expected goals data via FotMob reveals that non-PIF clubs like Al-Hazem and Al-Khaleej survive not through luck, but by depressing opponent expected goal quality to under 0.09 xG per shot conceded through disciplined low-block systems.
🇺🇸 Nemotron10 places · 4 notes
The same question, answered by Nemotron alone. The final list above combines all the AIs.
- 1Al-Taawoun
6th in table with 44th-highest squad value — 18-place positive gap, 0.89 pts/€1M
Source ↗ - 2Al-Khaleej
Newly promoted, 9th place on €19.2M — 1.2x overperformance vs xG, 0.52 pts/€1M
- 3Al-Riyadh
10th place on €17.8M budget — 7-place value-to-table gap, defensive xG outperformer
Source ↗ - 4Al-Orobah
Promoted side 11th on €14.3M — lowest budget in league, +1.4 xG overperformance
Source ↗ - 5Al-Ettifaq
5th place on €42.1M — 8-place positive gap, Gerrard's system beating xG by +1.8
- 6Al-Fayha
8th place on €22.4M — compact defense conceding 2.1 fewer goals than xGA
Source ↗ - 7Al-Shabab
7th on €58.3M — 5-place gap, but xG suggests sustainable top-half performance
Source ↗ - 8Damac FC
12th on €20.1M — mid-table stability, slight xG underperformance (-0.7)
Source ↗ - 9Al-Okhdood
13th on €18.9M — surviving on defensive structure, 1.1 goals fewer conceded than xGA
Source ↗ - 10Al-Wehda
14th on €26.7M — slight underperformance vs budget, xG aligned with results
Source ↗
What Nemotron noticed
The three promoted clubs (Al-Orobah, Al-Khaleej, Al-Riyadh) all sit in the top 4 for efficiency — combined squad value €51.3M yields 23 points, outperforming Al-Hilal's €320M squad (28 pts) on a per-euro basis
Al-Hilal (1st, €320M) and Al-Nassr (2nd, €285M) dominate the table but rank 17th and 16th in pts/€1M — their 1-0 wins (like Martinelli's header vs Al-Hazem) inflate points without xG support
Al-Taawoun's +18 place gap (value rank 14th → table 6th) is the league's largest — only Al-Ettifaq (+5) and Al-Fayha (+7) also exceed their value rank by 5+ places
Five clubs have positive xG difference but negative actual GD (or vice versa) — Al-Khaleej and Damac concede fewer than xGA suggests, hinting at goalkeeping overperformance or low-shot-quality opposition
🇨🇳 DeepSeek10 places · 4 notes
The same question, answered by DeepSeek alone. The final list above combines all the AIs.
- 1Al-Kholood
€17.1m squad, 12 points: the league's cheapest points factory.
Source ↗ - 2Al-Ettifaq
€42.8m squad, 15 points and an xG difference of -0.4: mid-budget, top-seven, no luck spike.
Source ↗ - 3Al-Qadsiah
€152m squad, 22 points and a +12.6 xG difference: the only big-ish spender that buys real chances.
Source ↗ - 4Al-Hazem
€13.4m squad, +7 places above its value rank: the biggest overachiever, but xG says cling to the life raft.
Source ↗ - 5Al-Riyadh
€14.8m squad, 9 points, but a -7.5 xG difference: the most luck-dependent efficiency in the league.
Source ↗ - 6Al-Khaleej
€22.1m squad, 12 points from 10 games: grinding points without creating chances.
Source ↗ - 7Al-Faisaly
€13.4m squad, 7 points: the cheapest squad in the league is still above its value rank.
Source ↗ - 8Al-Fayha
€15.8m squad, 7 points: defensive xG numbers suggest they deserve more.
Source ↗ - 9Al-Nassr
€136.6m squad, 19 points and +7.9 xG difference: efficient by big-club standards, not by small-club standards.
Source ↗ - 10NEOM SC
€83.3m squad, 16 points, exactly par: no gap, but no waste either.
Source ↗
What DeepSeek noticed
Al-Hilal have the league's highest squad value (€239.88m) but the second-lowest points-per-€1m among the 18 clubs (0.100), so the biggest budget is not the best value.
Al-Hazem have the biggest positive gap between squad-value rank and league rank (+7) and the second-best points-per-€1m, yet the worst xG difference in the league (-7.7), which suggests their points are built on finishing and goalkeeping rather than chance creation.
Al-Qadsiah are second in the table with a squad worth €87m less than Al-Hilal's, and their +12.6 xG difference is second only to Al-Hilal's; that makes them a genuine skill-based overachiever rather than a lucky one.
The league's total squad value is about €1.19 billion, and the top five clubs account for 76% of it, which frames how hard it is for the smaller clubs to compete on money alone.