The Future Falcons (SSDFT)

The Saudi Scholarship for Developing Football Talent (SSDFT) is one of the Ministry of Sports programs. It is an investment in the future of Saudi football. Its aim is to provide young players, ages 18-20, a rich experience and hone their skills. This is done through a meticulous training carried out by an international technical staff. The program develops the talent of the players in a camp in Spain. In this camp, technical and physical training, personal development and learning of the English language are improved. In addition, players play friendly matches and international tournaments against prestigious European clubs in order to create a generation of players who can serve the national teams in international competitions.. As part of the Kingdom’s transformative Vision 2030, the Ministry of Sport’s talent program possesses three key pillars – Mass Participation, Talent Development and Elite Performance. Its long-term aim is to improve Saudi Arabia’s football performances on the world stage and overall eco-system, through nurturing future talents, enhancing Saudi football’s general level of exposure and commercial value, establishing a strong foundation for youth talent and inspiring future mass participation in football. The short-term vision of the project is formulating a group of players capable of achieving successful results and performances on the world stage at the upcoming football championships (AFC U-23 Championship, Tokyo 2020 Olympics, FIFA 2022 World Cup). Having won the latest edition of the U19 Asian Cup, the future for the current young players enrolled in the program is already very bright.