A Rising Name in Saudi Football

From playing football as a child in Canada to representing Al-Ittihad and Saudi Arabia, Seba Tawfiq is building her place in the game while helping shape a new generation of women's football.

At just 21, Seba Tawfiq has already experienced a journey that reflects the remarkable growth of women's football in Saudi Arabia.

Today, she plays for Al-Ittihad and represents the Saudi Arabia women's national team. But her relationship with football began years earlier, during her childhood in Canada.

Seba was introduced to the sport while living in Toronto. She began playing football at school, often joining boys during breaks and becoming one of the few girls on the pitch.

What started as a childhood interest quickly became something more serious. Her coach noticed her potential and encouraged her to develop her skills.

Football soon became part of her daily life.

When Seba and her family returned to Jeddah, however, the path ahead looked very different. Opportunities for girls to play football were still limited, and the professional structures that young Saudi players have access to today were only beginning to take shape.

Still, Seba continued.

In 2021, she joined Jeddah Eagles, becoming part of an important period in the development of women's football in Saudi Arabia. The team competed during the early stages of the country's growing women's football structure, at a time when the sport was beginning to receive greater national recognition.

Her journey took another major step forward when Al-Ittihad acquired Jeddah Eagles and its players became part of the club's women's football project. For Seba, it opened the door to the next stage of her career.

She quickly established herself as a player to watch. Playing in midfield, she brought energy, confidence and creativity to the team. Her career with Al-Ittihad has continued to grow alongside the rapid development of the Saudi Women's Premier League.

At the same time, Seba was building her place on the international stage.

She became part of the Saudi Arabia women's national team during one of the most significant periods in the history of women's sport in the Kingdom. For the young generation of players entering the game, representing Saudi Arabia was becoming more than a dream. It was becoming a real professional pathway.

Seba was also recognised for her ability across different forms of the game. In 2022, she was named Best Player at the WAFF Women's Futsal Championship, highlighting her technical ability and versatility at an early stage of her career. Her journey, however, has not been without challenges.

Like many professional athletes, Seba has faced setbacks along the way. But recent interviews show that she sees resilience as an important part of her growth as a player. Rather than allowing difficult moments to define her career, she has continued to focus on improving, competing and setting bigger goals for herself. That mindset is shaping her ambitions today.

Seba is part of a Saudi national team generation with its sights set on the future, including the dream of competing at the FIFA Women's World Cup. For her, the growth of the women's game is not simply something she has watched from the sidelines. She has experienced it from inside the changing landscape of Saudi football.

In a recent interview, Seba spoke about the responsibility that comes with being part of a generation changing perceptions of women's football in Saudi Arabia. What once seemed impossible for many girls is increasingly becoming a genuine dream, and even a professional career. That is what makes Seba's story particularly significant.

She began playing football as a young girl because she loved the game. Today, young Saudi girls can see players like her representing major clubs, wearing the national team shirt and competing on bigger stages.

Her journey has moved from school pitches in Canada to professional football in Saudi Arabia. But for Seba, the bigger goal is still ahead.

As she continues to develop with Al-Ittihad and the Saudi national team, she remains part of a generation writing a new chapter for women's football in the Kingdom.

And at only 21, Seba Tawfiq's story is still only getting started.

HerStory celebrates Seba Tawfiq for her determination, her growing influence on the football field and her role in inspiring a new generation of Saudi girls to believe that football can be their future too.