The Saudi government has one clear goal with their investment into football, replenish the reputation of the country through sport. Never has the global transfer market been so affected by the sudden appearance of one football league. Not the J League, not China, not Major League Soccer.
The Saudi Pro League can boast some of the biggest names in world football all playing in their domestic competition many signed during the summer, Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kanté, Riyad Mahrez, Sadio Mané, Edouard Mendy, Marcelo Brozovic, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kalidou Koulibaly, Rúben Neves, Malcom, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, and soon to be announced Neymar.
Every one of those players on that list should be playing in leagues in Europe and could realistically be playing for some of the best teams in the world. No matter what the motivation is for players to go to Saudi Arabia, one thing is clear, the Saudi government has deep pockets, they intend to use them, and their reach goes beyond just signing top players, the national team also comes into focus as well as a new international television deal is on the horizon.
Why do football stars go to Saudi Arabia?
The answer is clear, money, but they also go because the game is changing. Lionel Messi’s arrival to Inter Miami is a clear sign that players who have built a reputation or have a brand name want deals to be structured accordingly to what they offer. Messi is no longer just a football player, he is a global icon, a brand, and these players want to have unique deals and be treated like stars, something that wasn’t happening for Messi or Neymar at PSG.
Unlike Messi’s move to MLS, Al Hilal will pay PSG in the range of $95 million in transfer fee, while Neymar is expected to make close to $164 million a year for two years. Along with Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar would be the biggest star in the Saudi Pro League.
“I’ve worked in sport for 40 years and I’ve never seen a project as big, as ambitious and as determined to be a success,” Peter Hutton, told the BBC, Hutton sits on the Pro League’s board.
How much has been spent on players, transfers, and contracts?
According to The Times, the Saudi Kingdom has spent $10 billion on player transfers, contracts, and the league, part of the $10 billion also includes the country’s deep dive into Golf.
In an effort to not just be a local product the Saudi Pro League is following the example of Major League Soccer and trying to expand its product globally, the league recently announced a new broadcasting deal with Fox Sports in the United States and DAZN in the United Kingdom, the result of this deal will make the Saudi Pro League available to 130 territories.
Simon Chadwick, a professor of sport and geopolitical economy at France’s SKEMA Business School, told The Times, “The big challenge for Saudi Arabia is to make sure that this isn’t just a 2023 phenomenon and people are still watching, still listening, still engaging years later.”
Helping the national team
While the extent of the Saudi Pro League’s popularity will be examined in the coming years, the government also has plans to improve their national team. The Saudi Arabian national team may have defeated Argentina in the 2022 World Cup in a shock result, but since then have lost four in a row in 2023, only defeating Yemen, and at the World Cup went 1-2 in their group.
Since June of 2022, Saudi Arabia won 4 games and have been defeated in 9 and have drawn 5. At the moment the national team, which has only players playing in the Saudi Pro League, is under an interim manager in Saad Al-Shehri, but that could change as it is reported that former Italian manager Roberto Mancini could coach the team on a record contract.
The 58-year-old quit as manager of Italy on Sunday evening and almost immediately reports of a four-year deal worth €40m-a-year until 2026 to coach Saudi Arabia surfaced.
Despite what may happen in the future, Saudi Arabia has become a major player in the world market, not only that, but they also have firm intentions of improving their national team. The world has begun to notice the question is, will anyone care, or will anyone really be watching?