Despite the CEO of the Saudi Pro League pledging to maintain robust investment, the stability of the project remains under threat. In an interview, he stated: “Our goal is to sustain investment in the coming years; this is by no means a passing fad.”
However, the Saudi Pro League’s winter transfer window has already shown signs of instability, with the futures of players such as Otávio Bento, Yannick Carrasco, Marcos Leonardo and Moussa Diaby all hanging in the balance.
Recently, Cristiano Ronaldo’s match boycott has also become a news hotspot. Ronaldo believes that the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia has not made any changes, leading to insufficient transfer investment (compared with rival Al-Hilal, for example), and now there are reports of serious salary arrears to players.
Three years ago, Ronaldo’s arrival marked a turning point for the Saudi Pro League. At that time, Ronaldo said: “I am extremely honoured to witness the league’s growth and the arrival of numerous players that have made it more exciting and competitive.”
Since then, the Saudi Pro League has spent more than €2.3 billion on transfer investments, with a net expenditure of nearly €1.95 billion—a level second only to the English Premier League.
Yet player movement has not been one-way. Jordan Henderson set a precedent by leaving Al-Ettifaq just six months after joining the club. Subsequently, Seko Fofana, Neymar, Anderson Talisca, Alex Telles, Ivan Rakitic and others have all left the Saudi Pro League one after another.
Al-Ittihad is one of the most affected teams. They have already lost N'Golo Kanté, and Karim Benzema also transferred to rival Al-Hilal, a move that sparked considerable controversy. The star exodus is likely to continue, with Fabinho and Danilo Pereira set to be the next to leave.
Other top clubs are also facing the same uncertainty. At Al-Hilal, Kalidou Koulibaly is free to negotiate his future; at Al-Nassr, Marcelo Brozovic, Sadio Mané and Íñigo Martínez are in the same situation. Franck Kessié’s contract with Al-Ahli is set to expire, as are those of Nacho Fernández, Georginio Wijnaldum and others. However, Rúben Neves completed a contract extension with Al-Hilal this month.
Saudi Arabia’s football project once led FIFA President Gianni Infantino to predict that the league would "have the potential to become one of the world’s top three leagues". Now, the project is facing competition from other emerging markets, such as Major League Soccer (MLS), the Turkish Süper Lig and the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, whose financial conditions are constantly improving.
The Saudi Pro League is facing severe challenges, with many star players leaving one after another; the departures of João Cancelo and N'Golo Kanté in particular have intensified this trend. This star exodus has raised questions about the league’s sustainability, after all, the Saudi Pro League once splashed huge sums to attract superstars from world football.
Despite these losses, the Saudi Pro League still has a host of renowned signed players, the most prominent of whom is Cristiano Ronaldo. However, the dissatisfaction of some players and a potential new wave of departures next summer—whether from players whose contracts are expiring or those eager to return to Europe—could set the league back to square one. Notably, Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
