Saudi spree just the start of long game

LONDON — A seismic year for soccer in Saudi Arabia witnessed the turbo-charging of its domestic league with expensive foreign superstars, an audacious bid to host the 2034 World Cup and the staging of FIFA's intercontinental club tournament.

And 2024 will only be a few weeks old before Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo renew their iconic rivalry in Riyadh.

Argentina's World Cup-winning talisman Messi did not join the exodus to Saudi Arabia's Pro League (SPL) last year, but his Inter Miami team will face Al-Nassr, Ronaldo's club, in the so-called Riyadh Season Cup on Feb 1.

That match lacks the gravitas of the 35 previous clashes between the two soccer icons. But it will once again thrust Saudi Arabia into the spotlight as the kingdom expands a sports portfolio already bulging with LIV Golf, boxing, tennis and F1.

When Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund bought Premier League club Newcastle United in 2021 after a protracted process accompanied by cries of so-called "sports washing", it underlined the country's intent to follow the lead of the United Arab Emirates and Qatar — its smaller neighbors who have bankrolled some of Europe's biggest soccer clubs.

But Saudi Arabia wants to go further as part of its Vision 2030 project aimed at diversifying the kingdom's economy and glossing the country's global image.

Developing a domestic soccer league that can become one of the top 10 in world soccer is crucial and no expense is being spared in trying to make that a reality.

PIF took control of four of Saudi Arabia's biggest clubs in June — Al-Nassr, Al-Ittihad, Al-Ahli and Al-Hilal — then spent huge amounts recruiting the likes of Neymar, Karim Benzema, Riyad Mahrez, Sadio Mane and N'Golo Kante, to name a few.

Around one billion dollars of talent arrived in a head-spinning summer and as the January window opens, fans of top clubs in Europe might well wonder who is next.

Cynics might say such rapid growth from a low-profile regional league to one capable of disrupting soccer's old order is doomed to failure.

But the Saudi approach — endorsed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman — looks built for the long haul, even if the initial splurge on player recruitment might slow down.

"I'm hoping it (January) is not very busy, because I think the job that was done has been quite interesting and aggressive, and most of the clubs, I believe, have what they need," Michael Emenalo, the SPL's director of football, said recently.

Quality players still operating at their peak are the prime targets and Liverpool's Mo Salah and Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappe will be on the shopping list.

"I think we will still see some acceleration over the next couple of (transfer) windows but then you will see a sort of tapering off and it becoming a more long-term strategy," Dan Plumley, a soccer finance expert at Sheffield Hallam University, told Reuters.

"The end goal is still a long way but the strategy is in place and they have some really smart people and experience working on it. And money will clearly not be an issue. Personally I think it will be sustained for the long term."

Saudi Arabia, unlike 2022 FIFA World Cup host Qatar, has a strong soccer culture and little more than a year ago the Green Falcons beat eventual champion Argentina at the World Cup, sparking massive celebrations.

While catapulting the Saudi Pro League to the top table of world soccer is one priority, investment in leading worldwide clubs and organizations is another.

Reuters