by Archie Brown
Saudi Arabia; a country known for many things, the sweltering heat, the vast desserts, and, the world's biggest airport. But, one thing most people think of when Saudi Arabia is mentioned is wealth. Whilst not being the richest country in the world, Saudi Arabia is still incredibly wealthy. Almost two years ago, a wealthy group in Saudi Arabia, known as ‘the Public Investment Fund’, decided to bring their wealth to the world’s biggest sport; football.
On 7th October 2021, Newcastle United football club was taken over by the Public Investment Fund. Being fairly unknown in the UK, most football fans in England were ignorant as to who these people were, and (probably more importantly) why they were taking over their team. It was a big step for the club, who were fighting to survive in the Premier League (the top league in English football) with little money, and poor ownership. This was HUGE news! Quickly, the fans got behind the takeover and ecstatic fans were seen lining up outside the stadium, chanting and shouting their support to the new owners. Although this was the first time Saudi Arabian wealth had become involved with European football, this intervention would prove to be the first of many….
The most famous interaction between Saudi Arabian wealth and European football occurred on 31st December, 2022. Cristiano Ronaldo, a big name to many in the world, was vocally very unhappy at Manchester United (his current club). Being the last day of the transfer window, Ronaldo was eager to move before the window shut. Big teams like Chelsea were interested, also Real Madrid were keen to bring the fantastic player back; so many teams came calling. But, he made an unexpected choice and chose to join a team in Saudi Arabia. This team was Al Nassr. Fuming fans raged for weeks over his decision, with many saying he chose money over passion, a common phrase used whenever people discuss this topic. Cristiano earns a reported £173 million per year, which has been criticised, but ultimately, that's one of the key factors when you join the Saudi Pro League now. Cristiano reportedly said when he joined the club, that ‘the Saudi Pro League is growing, and many famous faces from European leagues will come to the league.’
It seems that Ronaldo was correct with many famous football names such as Roberto Firmino, Jordan Henderson, Sadio Mane, N’golo Kante, Ruben Neves, Karim Benzema, and Neymar joining the Saudi Arabian football league. These are only a few of the names.
What this will mean to European football, only time will tell, but one thing is for sure, it is unlikely that any of the European clubs will be able to compete with the astronomical salaries offered to these players by the Saudi Pro League clubs.
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