Saudi Arabia is making noise in the football market: local clubs have not stopped at Cristiano Ronaldo and are massively buying up stars of the European championships. The RPL was no exception, Zenit’s top scorer Malcom moved to Al-Hilal for a record amount.
Why do football players move to Saudi Arabia?
It’s simple — local league clubs offer astronomical salaries. At the same time, they are hunting for free agents — players who are without a club. For example, Ronaldo, Benzema, Firmino and Ngolo Kante moved to Saudi Arabia when their contracts with European clubs ended.
However, paying for the transfer is not a problem. The Arabs bought Malcolm from Zenit for 60 million and Ruben Neves from Wolverhampton for 55 million. But the main expense item is huge salaries, which are nowhere near in Europe.
The Saudis are buying up not only established world stars, but also young football players. The list is expanding every day, and Ronaldo is confident that Saudi Arabia will soon have one of the best leagues.
Why do Arabs buy football players?
In Saudi Arabia, the state owns 75% of the shares of Al-Nasr, Al-Ittihad, Al-Ahly and Al-Hilal. These teams are now buying up stars en masse; it is reported that $1 billion has been earmarked for transfers.
The authorities are developing the championship to improve the country’s image and get the 2030 World Cup. There are several reasons for this desire. In 2022, the championship was held in Qatar, a political rival in the region. The successful performance of the Saudi Arabian team at the World Cup also had an impact — it did not qualify from the group, but sensationally defeated Argentina with Messi on the field.
What has changed since Ronaldo’s transfer?
Ronaldo’s move last year was an experiment. Ronaldo was made the highest paid athlete in the world, and the sheikhs became familiar with the football business. From a sporting point of view, Al-Nasr did not win anything (second place in the championship), but the media effect was huge.
In the third quarter of 2024, FIFA will determine where the 2030 World Cup will take place. Saudi Arabia alone will not be able to host the tournament. Therefore, the Saudis proposed sharing it with other countries Egypt and Greece.
Ronaldo became the main star of the championship, but there were also refusals reported about Robert Lewandowski and Luka Modric. But the loudest, of course, came from Leo Messi. He chose the American Inter Miami rather than 200 million euros a year from Al-Hilal.