By Hridaan Priyank Srivastav
Could this be the end of European football dominance?
Benzema, Neymar, and Mane join the Saudi Pro League, receiving lucrative contracts amounting to more than £750 million! Clubs in Europe uttered a sigh of relief when the transfer window closed.
This window alone has 4 clubs going by the names of Al Hilal, Al Ahli, Al Nassr, and Al Ittihad that have spent €700 million. These are the 4 different clubs owned by the Public Investment Fund, which also owns Newcastle Football Club. Not only are they spending big, they are also investing in big clubs such as Chelsea. In the next few years, we’ll be able to watch whether Saudi Arabia will become a rival for European teams or not!
But the main question is, why is such a seemingly small footballing country like Saudi Arabia suddenly paying so much attention to football?
Saudi Arabia has always had a long history as a football-playing nation, qualifying for 6/8 World Cups in the past. However, this year the summer transfer window has taken their profile to another level. The only biggest disappointment, however, was that they were unable to lure Messi, Mbappe, and Salah. Other theories for the country’s surge in engagement in football are to increase tourism, earn money, and most of all, WIN THE HONOR OF HOSTING THE 2030 WORLD CUP!
Now you must be wondering how spending big can result in earning big. Well, this is where the 2030 World Cup comes in! The 2030 World Cup, also known as, The 100th-ever World Cup, is anticipated to be one of the most exciting world cups in the history of football, and many bidders are looking to host it.
Some countries include Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Egypt, Spain, Portugal, Ukraine and Saudi Arabia. There are many contenders, hence why they are spending money to bring football to Saudi Arabia.
Bringing all these famous footballers to Saudi clubs ensures a huge popularity increase, helping them to improve their chances, making them top contenders to host the World Cup. This will eventually increase tourism and earnings.
This transfer has had a huge impact on the footballing world as a whole and has surely caused a lot of shockwaves around the world. In the coming years, it will be important to see the long-term effect this has on the community as a whole. Is this the start or end of the dominance of the European clubs? Will SPL become one of the best leagues in the coming years and end the omnipresence of European football? I’m certainly watching in anticipation.