RSL Legends: 'Elton Arabia', the historic Samba star with Saudi in his heart

In the history of the Roshn Saudi League there have been the high hundreds of foreigners to have graced the pitches of the Kingdom to varying degrees of success.

There have been those that have struggled, those that did well and those who excelled. A select few, however, leave behind a legacy well beyond the pitch and remain treasured figures of both the Saudi top flight and the clubs with which they represented.

Syria’s Omar Al Somah is the competition’s all-time leading goalscorer, while Morocco’s Abderrazak Hamdallah is fast on his tail, and Frenchman Bafetimbi Gomis remains revered at Al Hilal - to name only a few.

Another name you can add to that list is most certainly Elton Jose Xavier Gomes. Not only did he leave an impact on the competition, but the competition (and the country) also left an indelible mark on him, so much so that he now goes by the name “Elton Arabia”.

Arriving the Kingdom in 2007 as a fresh-faced 21-year-old with a mop of curly dark black hair, the flashy Brazilian quickly stood out, for his looks as much as his on-field trickery.

Before he was “Elton Arabia”, however, he was given the name “Elton Maradinha” for his likeness, both in appearance, stature - at 154 cm, he is known as one of the world’s shortest players - and playing style, with his curly black hair and dribbling technique drawing comparisons to Diego Maradona, Argentina’s legendary No.10.

Such comparisons would weigh heavy on most shoulders, but not those of Elton Arabia.

"I was happy with that nickname; it didn't put any pressure on me at all,” he shared in an interview in Brazil from 2017.

Al Nassr was his first port of arrival, and Elton instantly became a fan favourite in the capital. Goals, assists, and a significant helping of Samba flair, combined to see him win the hearts of the Al Nassr faithful across two years in Riyadh.

A return to Brazil followed, as well as a stint in the UAE with Al Wasl, where just after he left, Maradona landed in Dubai to coach the club. Elton returned to Saudi Arabia in 2011, this time with Al Fateh, and it is in Al Ahsa that he is most fondly remembered.

The 2012-13 season will go down as one of the most remarkable in RSL history, with Al Fateh coming from nowhere to clinch their first, and only RSL, title. It was Saudi Arabia’s very own "Leicester City moment", this historic feat coming three years before the English club achieved their own stunning success in winning the Premier League.

Elton was key to it all, with 11 goals and 10 assists, dominating the league and being named the competition’s player of the season. Such was his leading role in taking the previously unheralded Al Fateh all the way to the summit of Saudi football, his legacy was instantly secured.

“In 2013, we made a remarkable accomplishment by securing the league title, a feat that was unforeseen at the time,” Elton told Al Fateh’s social media channels in 2023. “For the club, this was even greater. It really was. We made an historic achievement that will endure for the rest of our lives, as it rightfully should.”

Elton finished with Al Fateh after six seasons, racking up 58 goals in 148 games in all competitions, and is widely regarded as the best foreigner to pull on their electric blue kit.

After a brief stint in Qatar, he returned to Saudi Arabia for another three-season spell, this time with Al Qadsiah, where he netted another 15 goals, before closing out his life in the Kingdom with a brief stint at Al Wehda.

Across four clubs, Elton spent a decade in the country and, to this day, remains the longest-serving foreigner in RSL history. Moreover, he ranks sixth on the all-time list for goal contributions - goals and assists - with 112.

Such is Elton’s everlasting love of Saudi Arabia, he has spoken of wanting to return to live in the country, calling it his “dream”. To emphasis his affinity, in 2021, he opened the Saudi Arabian Academy in Maceio, in the northern Brazilian state of Alagoas, where the entire space is decked out in the Kingdom’s colours and symbols.

There, the players and staff wear Saudi national team colours, while the walls are adorned with photos and imagery from the country and his time there. It’s Elton’s own slice of Saudi Arabia in Brazil, his way of staying connected to his adopted country on the other side of the world.

“Saudi Arabia has given me a lot, and this is a small part that I give back to this great country,” he shared on social media. “I taught my children the Saudi national anthem, and nowadays, I try and provide the correct information about the country that embraced me since the beginning of my professional career abroad.

“It is impossible to forget my fans and the Saudi people in general, nor the years I spent with you, and I cannot describe my feeling when I see your messages to me.

“Thank you, and I am really proud of everyone’s love for me. I will miss you and my country Saudi Arabia.”