Saudi Pro League leading Asia’s journey to becoming global football destination

The presence of internationally renowned players in the Saudi clubs and Asian competitions, along with significant investment in football infrastructure and scouting young talent, marks a promising future of professional football in Asia, according to the President of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa.

In a press statement by the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the president highlighted the high-quality football competition and investment in the continent, hailing it as an exemplary model of a football league showcasing Asian football at its best.

“Asia’s successful hosting of various global football events, including the recent 2022 World Cup in Qatar, coupled with the impressive progress of the Saudi Pro League in terms of investing in human capabilities, football infrastructure, and professional talent, demonstrates Asia’s confident journey towards realizing its objective,” Sheikh Salman was quoted as saying.

The AFC President, also the First Deputy Chairman of FIFA, affirmed that the presence of internationally acclaimed players in Saudi clubs will provide massive gains for football in Asia by transcending the inspiring Saudi football experience to several national leagues across the continent.

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Saudi Arabia has frequently made international headlines and shocked global fans over the past year by acquiring football legends such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, with a host of other signings of some of the finest in the sport, including Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante, Kalidou Koulibaly, Edouard Mendy, Inter Milan’s Marcelo Brozovic and many others – the most recent signing being that of Manchester United’s Alex Telles.

The Kingdom’s Public Investment Fund has also acquired four major Saudi Clubs, in line with the developmental vision of the Saudi Pro League to become one of the top 10 football leagues in the world, by enhancing the quality of the sport and creating advantageous marketing opportunities across Asia.

According to Sheikh Salman, the AFC aims to uplift the level of football in the region by providing support and making necessary contributions to improve the quality of football in the continent by “increasing the strength of its influence, investment and marketing year after year.”

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