Backed by the Peoples Investment Fund (PIF), the Saudi Professional League has caught the world’s attention. The league and its state-owned teams are attracting plenty of notable names proving a long-standing notion wrong.
You’ve been hearing about it for months. Saudi Arabia is spending big on soccer. Starting with Cristiano Ronaldo, state-backed clubs in the Saudi Pro League (SPL) have opened their wallet to attract European talent to the Middle East. As Karim Benzema, Riyad Mahrez, and N’Golo Kante say goodbye to some of the world’s finest leagues, the Pro League has been derided as another Chinese Super League.