At what cost? Saudi Arabia and soccer

New York Times

a day ago

The Club World Cup and CONCACAF Gold Cup — two football tournaments held in the United States this summer — have been influenced by KSA, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on the field, and commercially strengthened by it off the pitch.
Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) has partnered with FIFA and CONCACAF — the global and regional governing bodies which organise the two tournaments — while other Saudi brands have been promoted across the club and international showpieces including Aramco, Riyadh Air and Visit Saudi.
Advertisement
FIFA's broadcast deal for the Club World Cup with DAZN — now part-owned by PIF's sports arm SURJ — is another element of the Middle Eastern nation's dominant position in the sport.
'At what cost? Saudi Arabia and Soccer' — a special episode of The Athletic FC podcast — investigates the heightened visibility of Saudi Arabia on and off the field in the U.S. this summer.
Beyond analysing the impact of Al Hilal's success in reaching the Club World Cup quarter-finals, and the country's national team being an invitee to the Gold Cup, the episode highlights the political bond between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, as well as those fighting for greater awareness of the human rights issues in Saudi.
'Allowing Saudi Arabia to make all these deals is a clear indication that there is no human rights assessment,' says Abdullah Alaoudh, director for countering authoritarianism at the Middle East Democracy Center (MEDC), who says it is 'an atrocious conclusion (for) humanity'.
Alaoudh, whose father, a leading Saudi scholar, has been imprisoned since 2017, believes the Saudi Arabia 2034 World Cup award should not have happened without 'essential and transformational changes'.
Rodney Dixon KC is one of three international lawyers who have made a complaint to FIFA — with the support of Alaoudh and the MEDC — which alleges it breached its own rules on human rights. 'It should be done first as part of the bidding process, but we passed that stage now. It can't be more generalised rhetoric.'
FIFA says all statutes were followed in the decision to award the World Cup to Saudi Arabia. A statement to The Athletic said: 'FIFA implemented thorough and robust bidding processes for the 2030 and 2034 editions of the FIFA World Cup.
'All relevant reports, including the independent human rights context assessments and the human rights strategies of all bidders for the 2030 and 2034 editions, were made available on our website.'
Advertisement
FIFA's evaluation report classed Saudi Arabia's human rights record as a 'medium' risk.
Input from PIF, DAZN and the governing bodies also feature in the episode that includes reporting from Miami, Austin, Las Vegas and Los Angeles.
'The Saudis want to be in it, they have a right to be in it, and we have a right to engage with them,' explains Victor Montagliani, the president of CONCACAF, the governing body for soccer in north America, central America and the Caribbean.
The Saudi Arabia national team coach, Herve Renard, acknowledges that 'some people are still not convinced, but I'm sure they will change their mind', and striker Saleh Al-Shehri says 'with the vision of our Crown Prince, everything is set up perfectly'.
Al Hilal have been one of the surprises of the Club World Cup and the new head coach Simone Inzaghi, who joined from UEFA Champions League finalists Inter in the build-up to this tournament, says he wants to make the team 'one of the most important clubs in the footballing scene'.
Fans of the club — one of four in Saudi Arabia owned by PIF — and the international team give their view on the reputation of their nation. 'I'm familiar with what they're saying in the Western and global media, the sportswashing, the image and all that, but nothing can be built without money,' said one supporter at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. 'Let's not lie, sports is a very good tool to build the soft power.'
The USMNT head coach, Mauricio Pochettino, praises 'the progression and improvement' of the Saudi Pro League and national team — who were the only team to beat his native Argentina at the Qatar World Cup — saying they are 'building something special'.
Speaking about Saudi Arabia's growing influence on football, the USMNT and Bournemouth midfielder Tyler Adams spoke about the 'unique opportunity' for younger Saudi players 'now playing with (Cristiano) Ronaldo, (Karim) Benzema or (N'Golo) Kante' which is the same as 'Lionel Messi coming to MLS' and helping 'so many young Americans grow'.
Dwight Yorke's Trinidad and Tobago also took on Saudi Arabia in the Gold Cup and Yorke, a Middle East resident and frequent visitor to Saudi, believes 'there is no limitation in terms of where they're trying to get to' on their journey to hosting the World Cup in 2034. 'Being the host (in 2034) they have a plain objective of wanting to be one of the best,' he says. 'Is it a good thing? Yeah, I'm sure a lot of people may have their opinion on it. I don't see any problem with it.'
Advertisement
Objections to the sport's biggest tournament heading to Saudi, including those made by Norway's football association, are discussed in addition to how political unrest in the Middle East may prove disruptive to the 2034 World Cup. 'The Saudis want a period of stability and calm,' says Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, a regional political expert. 'They do not want to be caught in the middle of another conflict.'
The MLS commissioner and US Soccer board member Don Garber engages with Saudi Arabia's greater influence on the game. 'We need to recognise the beauty of our game is to introduce us to folks outside of the way we think and the way we act, and maybe there are things we could learn,' he says. 'That doesn't mean it's easy, but I try to lean into it.'
Football is now intertwined with Saudi money just like other sports, including golf and tennis. The leading boxing promoter Todd duBoef, the president of Top Rank, gives his take on the scene in his sport: 'It's not just about making fights — it's bigger,' he says. 'It's great to have those events in Saudi, but are you actually separating the fanbase from the product?'
Whatever happens in boxing in the future, one thing is for certain as football continues to grow in Saudi Arabia towards 2034: the nation's influence across the globe shows no sign of abating.
(Top image: Saudi Arabia Tourist Authority tent outside Q2 Stadium, Austin, where Saudi Arabia played USMNT. Credit: Adam Leventhal)