Al-Ittihad Club — formally known as Ittihad FC — was founded on 4 January 1927 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, making it one of the oldest football clubs on the Arabian Peninsula. Known as "Al-Ameed" (The Dean), Al-Ittihad has been a foundational force in Saudi football since its inception, producing many of the country's national-team stars. The club plays its home matches at the King Abdullah Sports City, a 62,000-capacity stadium in Jeddah.
Al-Ittihad's trophy cabinet is among the most decorated in Saudi football. The club holds nine Saudi Pro League titles (most recently 2024-25) and a record 11 King's Cup triumphs, plus multiple Crown Prince Cup successes. The club's defining era of continental dominance came in the early 2000s under Brazilian coach Dimas: Al-Ittihad won back-to-back AFC Champions League titles in 2004 and 2005, becoming Asia's most successful club of that era. Stars like Mohammed Noor, Mohammed Al-Daayea, Hamad Al-Montashari and Brazilian striker Manuel led that golden generation.
The 2023 Saudi football revolution transformed Al-Ittihad into a global brand. With the country's Public Investment Fund (PIF) taking control of the major Saudi clubs, Al-Ittihad signed Karim Benzema (then 2022 Ballon d'Or winner) from Real Madrid, alongside N'Golo Kanté and Fabinho. The 2022-23 league title was followed by another in 2024-25 under Laurent Blanc. The Jeddah Derby against Al-Ahli SFC and the broader Saudi rivalry with Al-Hilal are central fixtures. The club's yellow and black colours have become synonymous with Saudi football's modern era.