Football has long been woven into Jeddah's social life, with neighbourhood pitches producing generations of players for local clubs and national teams.

The city's organised sporting history began in 1950 with Al-Sabban Stadium in Al-Qurayyat district, the Kingdom's first official sports venue. With 12,000 seats, it hosted the first King's Cup final and many title matches, and in 1973 drew huge crowds when Brazilian club Santos, led by Pelé, held an exhibition training session there.

In 1970, the Jeddah Youth Welfare Stadium opened in Al-Waziriyah with room for about 22,000 fans. Renamed Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium in 2001, it was modernised from 2012 and reopened in 2021 as a 27,000-seat stadium within Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City.

King Abdullah Sports City, with a stadium of more than 62,000 seats, opened in 2014 and confirmed Jeddah's ability to host top continental and international events.

Now, for the first time, Jeddah hosts the 27th Arabian Gulf Cup from September 23 to October 6, 2026, with eight Gulf teams playing at both sports cities, continuing the city's tradition of big crowds and major regional tournaments.