The Saudi Pro League has spent the past few years trying to buy its way into football relevance.
From Cristiano Ronaldo’s high-profile arrival at Al-Nassr in January 2023 to the league’s headline-grabbing 530 million euro ($605 million) spree in the 2024 summer transfer window, Saudi Arabia has spared no expense in assembling a constellation of global stars.
Yet, the returns have been mixed. Television viewership may be rising, but stadiums remain half-empty. Fan culture remains shallow. And for all the star power, the league is still chasing credibility on the global stage.
Ronaldo’s dig
At the 2024 Globe Soccer Awards, Cristiano Ronaldo confidently declared that the Saudi Pro League had surpassed France’s Ligue 1 in quality.
“In France, they only have PSG. Everyone else is finished,” he said. Earlier that year, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner had already made similar claims, touting the Saudi league as more competitive and rapidly improving.
But Paris Saint-Germain’s 5-0 demolition of Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League final silenced any such comparisons, highlighting just how wide the gulf remains between elite European competition and Saudi ambitions.
Expensive spectacle with sparse crowds
When Ronaldo signed a record-breaking contract worth 200 million euros per year, the deal was seen as the spark for a football revolution in the Gulf.
Neymar soon followed, joining Al-Hilal. Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kante landed at Al-Ittihad.
The transfer blitz made the Saudi Pro League the second-highest spending league in the world in 2024 – trailing only the English Premier League.
But the spectacle has struggled to translate at home.
While online metrics and TV ratings have improved, in-stadium attendance has not kept pace.
Despite Ronaldo’s drawing power and a 20% increase in Al-Nassr home game attendance since his arrival, the broader league continues to suffer from sparse crowds. Even lesser-funded leagues like India’s Indian Super League (ISL) and Australia’s A-League are pulling in better gate numbers.
The ISL, in particular, benefits from a grassroots football culture that fosters loyalty – something money alone has yet to purchase for the Saudi league.
The contrast is even starker when considering scale: Ronaldo’s weekly paycheck reportedly eclipses the entire payroll of the ISL. And still, Indian clubs such as Kerala Blasters and Bengaluru FC enjoy packed stadiums and fervent atmospheres that Saudi clubs have yet to replicate.
Oil-fueled vision
Saudi Arabia’s aggressive foray into global football is part of its broader Vision 2030 initiative, a national project aimed at diversifying the economy and rebranding the Kingdom’s global image.
At the center of that push is football – seen as a cultural bridge and a commercial platform. Ronaldo, now with 99 goals and 19 assists in 111 appearances for Al-Nassr, has been the poster boy of this vision.
His global brand has helped attract sponsorships and elevated Al-Nassr’s commercial profile.
Yet, it can be argued that the league’s marketing machine prioritizes individual stardom over long-term development.
The domestic product remains undercooked.
The league’s competitive depth is shallow.
While stars like Ronaldo, Benzema, and Neymar – now with Santos – have drawn global attention, their presence has done little to raise the league’s footballing standards or spark the rise of homegrown talent.
Al-Hilal’s recent moves encapsulate the strategy and its shortcomings.
After an audacious but unsuccessful 1 billion euro bid for Kylian Mbappe in 2023, Al-Hilal turned their focus to Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, reportedly offering 120 million euros to secure the Nigerian forward as Neymar’s replacement.
Osimhen, whose physicality and clinical finishing were instrumental in Galatasaray’s domestic double while on loan, is viewed as the type of marquee talent capable of leading the charge both in the Saudi league and on the international stage.
With the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup looming large, Al-Hilal are desperate to make a mark.
But their attempts to lure other high-profile targets – including Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and Real Madrid’s Vinícius Jr. – have fallen short.
Both players opted to renew their contracts in Europe, underscoring that Saudi Arabia’s billions, while persuasive, are still no match for legacy, prestige, and Champions League football.
Built on transfers, not foundations
There are growing comparisons between the Saudi Pro League and the ill-fated Chinese Super League, which experienced a similar boom in the 2010s before financial and regulatory issues brought it crashing down.
Analysts are quick to point out that the Saudi experiment has more staying power, backed by state resources and a clear long-term agenda.
But that hasn’t silenced concerns about sustainability.
The league, however, has drawn 2 billion combined social media followers through Ronaldo, Neymar and Benzema.
But its one-dimensional approach has also come under scrutiny.
Trophies, after all, remain elusive for some of the league’s biggest names.
Ronaldo, despite his scoring prowess, has yet to lift a major trophy with Al-Nassr.
Benzema fared better, claiming both the Saudi Pro League and King Cup in his debut campaign with Al-Ittihad.
These are not isolated narratives – they point to a broader truth.
Success in football is measured not only by headlines but by heritage, culture, and competitive balance.
Leagues like the ISL and A-League may lack star wattage, but they have built authentic connections with fans.
Their clubs reflect regional identities and communities, generating loyalty that no marketing campaign can manufacture.
Content Source: www.dailysabah.com