Mohammed bin Salman with AFC president Sheikh Salman (left) and FIFA president Gianni Infantino.Credit:Getty
Lionel Messi,though,has made his choice,and despite being a Saudi tourism ambassador,he won’t be heading to the kingdom. The World Cup winner hada reported €1.2 billion deal on the table from Riyadh-based club Al Hilal but will instead join Inter Miami in the US Major League Soccer competition.
But Ronaldo’s former Real Madrid teammate,reigning Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema,has already been unveiled by rivals Al-Ittihad on a three-year deal. They are coached by Nuno Espirito Santo,one of Ange Postecoglou’s predecessors at Tottenham Hotspur.
Between Ronaldo and Benzema,Saudi Arabia have locked in arguably two of the three biggest names in the men’s game – with the prospect of many more,including Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante,tempted to join them soon. And unlike in Europe,which is governed by UEFA’s contentious Financial Fair Play scheme,there are no rules to cap how much clubs can pay.
It is reminiscent ofhow the Chinese Super League spent extraordinary amounts on players like Carlos Tevez,Alex Teixeira and Oscar to boost the sport in that country,and the country’s standing within the sport. But where that effort fizzled out amid financial crises,corruption allegations and on-field impotence,the Saudis seem to have much deeper,more intricate plans,a stronger will to see them through,an existing tradition in football to leverage (best represented by their watershed World Cup upset over Messi’s Argentina in Qatar) and,crucially,a lot more money.
Karim Benzema will play for Al-Ittihad next season.Credit:Getty
Spare a thought for the poor old A-League,which was already struggling to compete for the signatures of high-profile “marquee” players – and now probably never will in the face of this star-studded superannuation mission in the Middle East.
Indeed,it is only one part of Saudi Arabia’s multifaceted plan to become a force in world football.