Re: FIFA World Cup 2026 :Canada/Mexico/United States: Discussion Thread
The current administration under Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud is focusing a lot on modernizing the Saudi society and one of his goals is to make Saudi Arabia a global sporting hub. As far as football is concerned, Saudi Pro League is now regarded as one of the strongest club competitions in the world. But that is not getting translated into the performance of the national team. It will happen eventually. By the time Saudi Arabia host the tournament in 2034, they will be one of the strongest teams from the AFC.
But I really like the effort they are making in Saudi Arabia, because perhaps the results are not seen now, but with the younger generations, yes. There are many important, famous players who have gone to Saudi Arabia, and they are experienced players with very good technique. The main idea is that the Arabs also learn from their experience, and this will gradually increase their level of football. For me, it is a great step that they are taking. We must not forget what they did in Qatar , they beat the Champions of the world.
In my opinion, this move by Saudi Arabia will not make the national team strong. We just have to look at how many countries have good football leagues but need players who are playing abroad for the national team to be strong. The Saudis are bringing in foreign players to play in the Saudi league, but in the long term it will not make this league strong, because as soon as Cristiano Ronaldo retires, everyone will stop paying attention to this league and even foreign players will not accept playing in these leagues.