In July 2025, former FIFA president Sepp Blatter declared on German television channel ntv that "we have lost football to Saudi Arabia." Yes, that football—not the American one. Blatter's defeatist statement came on the heels of a string of successes for Saudi influence in the world of football, from its upsetting victory over Argentina during the 2022 World Cup to football star Cristiano Ronaldo leaving the Premier League for the Saudi Pro League in January 2023 and the 2034 World Cup being awarded to the Kingdom. While these victories have grabbed headlines around the world, this begs the question: how? Furthermore, why has Saudi Arabia placed so much importance on what fans call "The Beautiful Game"?
The Kingdom's romance with football began over a century ago, when the first football clubs were established. Despite the Saudi Pro League not having been established until 2008, football has long been an integral part of Saudi culture, with clubs like Al-Ittihad even predating some major European counterparts such as Paris Saint-Germain. This was in part due to the efforts of the Saudi royal family during the 1900s to promote the sport at home, with members like Prince Abdullah going on to found Al-Ahli and support initiatives that drove a surge in football's popularity among Saudis. Thus, well before the dawn of the 21st century, football was the sport of choice for millions of Saudis.
Locals playing football in the city of Al-Hofuf. Long before Vision 2030, football was deeply ingrained in Saudi culture. Sports Illustrated
When Saudi Arabia unveiled Vision 2030, it quickly eyed football for several reasons. One of the simplest factors behind this is that football is the world's most popular sport, and thus possesses massive potential for Saudi soft power. Keeping this in mind, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman's goal of making the Middle East the new Europe becomes clearer: as the center of global football, Europe has historically enjoyed a massive soft power advantage, being where both top athletic talent and eager football fans from around the world go to play and spectate. Through investing in the globally acclaimed sport and becoming a new football hub, Saudi Arabia aims to enjoy a similar kind of soft power, strengthening its global influence and brand.
For Saudi Arabia, however, football represents not only soft power but hard power too, harboring the potential to become a new pillar of economic development in a country aiming to diversify from oil. As the world's biggest sport, football is a multi-billion dollar industry that is expected to continue growing with the rise of sponsorships and endorsements alongside growing fan participation and consumption patterns. Through investing in football, Saudi Arabia aims to inject foreign capital into the Saudi economy while also attracting global tourism, driving the Vision 2030 goal of becoming a popular tourist destination.
Finally, the Kingdom aims to use football as a driver of social change within the Kingdom, a factor missed by many observers. Due to a mix of factors ranging from diet to historical restrictions on women, Saudi Arabia and the wider MENA region struggle with high rates of obesity that cost healthcare systems billions of dollars in treatment. To combat this, the Saudi government has placed a high priority on investing in sports and fitness within the Kingdom, with football being a key driver. Football has also helped break barriers for women, with the first female football leagues being established in 2020 onwards.
The Saudi Arabia women's national football team, one of many signs of the Kingdom's social opening and reform. AFP
Once Vision 2030 was unveiled, Saudi Arabia quickly made its move, signing a five-year partnership deal with Manchester United via the General Sports Authority in 2017. Building on a previous partnership signed between the famous football club and Saudi Telecom, this deal laid the groundwork for the expansion of Saudi Arabia's football industry. Then came financial reform, with the Saudi government ordering the privatization of the Kingdom's soccer clubs, thus allowing sponsorships and sales from merchandise and tickets to directly fuel the Saudi economy. However, growing Saudi interest in the football industry did not grab global headlines until 2020, when it was announced that the Kingdom's Public Investment Fund was planning a takeover of English Premier League club Newcastle United, sparking debate between fans who supported the takeover and third parties who opposed it for geopolitical reasons. Ultimately, the fans won, and in 2021, the takeover was completed, making Newcastle United the richest team in the Premier League.
Football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo goes full traditional in Saudi Arabia
However, the ultimate global shock would not come until 2023, when it was announced that football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo would be signed to Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr for over $200 million a year. This sparked a wave of high-profile transfers, with star players like Karim Benzema and Neymar also making their way to the Kingdom. Ronaldo's nine-figure salary was the ultimate investment: the high-profile transfer paved the way for the Saudi Pro League to sign dozens of overseas broadcasting agreements and ultimately became an inspiration for the Kingdom's youth. The Ronaldo transfer became Saudi Arabia's "Apollo 11" moment, signalling to the world the Kingdom's intent to become a new global football hub. This year, Ronaldo has gone on to renew his contract with Al-Nassr, declaring that the Saudi Pro League is among the top five in the world and more competitive than Ligue 1.
Now, with the 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia approaching, the Kingdom is all in on its investment. This includes the decision to host an unspecified number of games in NEOM, the megaproject that is the crown jewel of the Kingdom's Vision 2030 ambitions. By choosing NEOM as one of the host cities, Saudi Arabia ultimately plans to showcase Vision 2030 and its accomplishments to the world. Ultimately, Saudi Arabia aims to use the World Cup as a platform to showcase the highly desired successes of Vision 2030 and its internal reforms on an economic and societal level. In addition, the headspinning pace of developments over the past few years—from the acquisition of Newcastle United to the arrival of superstars like Ronaldo—shows just how crucial football has become to the Kingdom. More than a mere soft power grab, it represents a growing core part of Saudi Arabia's economic and global ambitions, a game that it is playing for keeps.