From Ronaldo to Benzema, world-class soccer stars are joining the Saudi Arabian league.
Saudi Arabia is expanding its influence in the sports world with enormous capital.
Last year, Benzema of Real Madrid, who won the “Ballon d’Or,” the most prestigious award in the soccer world, moved to Al-Itihad in the Saudi League.
Benzema receives as much as 550 billion won over two years.
Ronaldo, who was Benzema’s teammate, is already playing for Al Nasr in the same league for 270 billion won a year.
Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal surprised everyone by offering an annual salary of 570 billion won to Messi, who has become the “God of Soccer.”
Some say that the Saudi League will recruit Tottenham’s Son Heung-min next summer, when he enters the final year of his contract.
It is literally gathering world-class stars, which is analyzed to be a stepping stone to attract the World Cup.
Saudi Arabia, with “oil money” at the forefront, is expanding its influence in other sports.
Saudi Arabia, which was at odds with the PGA Tour through the establishment of LIV Golf last year, announced the merger of PGA and LIV.
Saudi Arabia has been evaluated as a de facto winner, signaling a massive change in the perception of global golf.
<Jay Monahan / PGA Tour Commissioner> “We are explaining the sudden merger. Ultimately, I think this merger will benefit everyone on the PGA Tour.”
Meanwhile, all of the aforementioned clubs are owned by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund, the “PIF,” and LIV Golf is sponsored by the PIF, which is chaired by Prince Bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler.
Prince Bin Salman, who has been criticized by the international community for dictatorship, human rights abuses, and media suppression, is also criticized for his aggressive investment in the sports world to launder his image and so-called “sports washing.”