The Saudi Arabian national soccer league is attempting to attract the world’s top soccer players to join Cristiano Ronaldo, who recently joined the league. To make it happen, the kingdom plans to offer some of the highest annual salaries in sports history. The country’s sovereign wealth fund will finance the plan, which aims to transform the previously less important domestic league into a top destination for leading soccer talent. The move follows Saudi Arabia’s successful performance at last year’s men’s World Cup in Qatar, which aimed to boost its profile as it bids for the 2030 World Cup.
According to anonymous sources, the league, not the clubs, will centrally negotiate player transfers and assign players to specific teams, similar to a model used by Major League Soccer to develop its global profile. While critics argue that the country is using its sport investments to divert attention from its human rights controversies, Saudi officials argue that the push towards global sports is about catering to their sports-loving population and encouraging greater physical activity in a country where obesity and diabetes are prevalent. Discussions with potential soccer recruits and their representatives are already underway.
