EXPLAINED | Why Saudi Pro League will be new centre of attraction in world football

A revamped Saudi Pro League (SPL) is all set to take centre stage from Friday, August 11 and will mark the start of a new era in the country’s football chapter. Public Investment Fund (PIF) has been pivotal to the league's latest inning, having attracted a host of big-name players from Europe. The league that has been masterminded by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as part of grand plans could now be ready to finally change the epicentre of world football.

Rise of Saudi in Sports

Giving a tough fight to European nations in recent times, Saudi has been investing heavily in sports and has been grabbing the attention of the world. The world's biggest oil exporter has thrown hundreds of millions at sports deals, including Ronaldo's capture, Formula One in Jeddah, and the lucrative LIV Golf tour, drawing frequent claims it is "sportswashing" its human rights record.

Saudi Arabia's geopolitical relationships have also seen a major change that has grabbed the attention of the world. Change in cultural policies of the nation in the last five years has also seen tourists and other global markets take notice of the Middle-East nation.

SPL’s fight with Europe

The country in its latest sensational development intends to change the epicentre of world football. For the first time in decades, Europe is likely to face tough competition to hold on to its prestige as big-name players have switched alliances over the last few months. To put in figures, Saudi Pro League has two Ballon d’Or winners with a total of six such titles to their name (five from Cristiano Ronaldo and one from Karim Benzema). In contrast, Europe only has one Ballon d’Or winner still playing in one of their major leagues in the form of Luka Modric at Real Madrid.

Europe previously faced similar competition when the Chinese Super League (CSL) took the world by storm. However, COVID-19 was the biggest spanner in the work for the league, resulting in players trying to move away from China rather than playing in the CSL. The chances of SPL making those mistakes will be a rarity as they have delivered in sports.

In June 2023, PIF acquired a 75% stake in Al-Ahli, Al-Hilal, Al-Ittihad, and Al-Nassr – the four biggest clubs in the country’s football history. The direct investment in the clubs and higher ambitions from the owners has seen some biggest names in world football make their way to the Saudi Pro League. Clubs in the oil-rich Gulf state have lured global stars, with Karim Benzema, Jordan Henderson, and Sadio Mane among those following in Cristiano Ronaldo's footsteps.

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Attracting and acquiring players at the twilight of their careers is not a big deal for mega-rich leagues, but SPL has stood out convincingly in getting players at relatively young ages and the peak of their talent. Riyad Mahrez and Ruben Neves come in as good examples of such lucrative high spending. Some may argue these deals may not make sense as they don’t represent value for money, but the Saudi Pro League with big names has already stamped its authority in football.

The league could have hit the jackpot had they been successful in signing Lionel Messi before he opted to move to Major League Soccer (MLS). Last month, Al-Hilal made a 300-million-euro ($328 million) bid for Kylian Mbappe, though the Paris Saint-Germain striker reportedly refused to meet with officials from the club.

To go toe-to-toe with European clubs, the new structure of SPL has seen a rise in the number of teams. The upcoming season will see 18 teams compete in the top division and will be allowed to use eight foreign players in their ranks.

SPL’s big challenges

Now that the foundation stone has been laid for SPL to be one of the global football powers, it now needs to generate an audience. Fans of European football are used to high-quality shows in the Champions League, Premier League or the Bundesliga. Clubs in Europe have a rich traditional history and have had a loyal fan base since the 19th century. The quality of the stadiums could be another big factor in attracting fans.

Finally, SPL is still a long way behind the big European pool of leagues that charge big amounts for broadcasting deals. Currently, the SPL is no competition for the Premier League in terms of the broadcasting deal and it will be years before it attracts big capital. 

The latest season of the SPL will conclude in May 2024 as players will build up for the Euro 2024 and Copa America. Like European leagues, the top two teams from the upcoming season will play in the AFC Champions League with three bottom-placed sides relegated to the Yelo League. 

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