Saudi Arabia has long been a regional powerhouse in the Asian Football Confederation. Since 1994, as-Suqūr Al-Arabiyyah has qualified for six of the last eight World Cup tournaments, with a famous 2-1 comeback win over eventual winners Argentina at Qatar 2022 being the hallmark of their footballing journey as a nation.
Ambitious plans across the domestic landscape could be set to push the country from the periphery of the global discussion and into the center of it the map after a cadre of big-money deals has seen some of the biggest names in the beautiful game opt for a move to the Gulf kingdom.
First, Cristiano Ronaldo arrived at Al-Nassr during the 2022-23 season after having his contract terminated with Manchester United, but now, increased market aggression from the biggest clubs in the Roshn Saudi League has reached the next level, after securing the services of N’Golo Kanté and Karim Benzema; two names that have been at the very pinnacle of the global game.
Benzema, the holding Ballon d’Or winner, recently completed a move to Al-Ittihad along with Kanté, giving the second of three Saudi giants star names on their books. Despite being recognized as one of the top strikers of his generation on the back of an immensely successful career with both Olympique Lyonnais and Real Madrid, Benzema opened up on the motivations for his move to King Abdullah Sports City and the ambitions surrounding the nation’s footballing project.
Karim Benzema on why he joined Al-Ittihad.🟡⚫️
🗣️ “Well because I am Muslim and it’s a Muslim country. I’ve always wanted to live there. I’ve already been to Saudi Arabia and I feel good about it… pic.twitter.com/rMj2km0qXG
— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) June 8, 2023
Well because I am Muslim and it’s a Muslim country. I’ve always wanted to live there. I’ve already been to Saudi Arabia and I feel good about it.
Most importantly it’s a Muslim country, it’s beloved and it’s beautiful. When I had a conversation with my family that I was signing with Saudi Arabia, they were all very happy and here I am. To me, it’s where I want to be.
I hope for my new club, what I’ll be able to bring is my football and most importantly to be able to win titles. It’s a new chapter for me and I would like to further advance the club. It’s a club with a lot of passion.
It’s important also that Cristiano Ronaldo is in Saudi Arabia because he’s a very big player. He brings a lot to the game in this country and that will further elevate their playing level. So it’s important to show that Saudi football can have a global impact.
— Quotes sourced from CBSSports’ Ben Jacobs
🇫🇷🏟️ Karim Benzema, unveiled infront of 60,000 Al Ittihad supporters! He’ll wear the no.9 shirt out in Saudi Arabia. pic.twitter.com/zuydbyHbfQ
— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) June 8, 2023
Despite the capture of Benzema and Kanté, the Roshn Saudi League brass continue to try to bring in further big names but were rebuffed by Lionel Messi who opted for a move to MLS side Inter Miami despite reports of a contract worth over ~€1.2billion over three seasons.
With the nation hoping to secure a joint bid for the 2030 World Cup while also establishing its domestic competition as an attractive proposition for giants of the game as well as increased efforts of growing its profile both at home and abroad, expect further stars to possibly join up Ronaldo and Benzema in the near future.
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