Saudi Arabia’s growing influence on sport ahead of 2034 World Cup host decision

Football Mad -

Saudi Arabia is set to be officially awarded hosting rights for the 2034 men’s World Cup on Wednesday.

Securing football’s most high-profile tournament is just the latest example of the Middle East kingdom’s growing influence on global sport, which its critics say is in an effort to ‘sportswash’ the authoritarian regime’s reputation.

Here the PA news agency takes a closer look.

BOXING

Turki Al-Sheikh has had a breakneck rise to kingmaker of boxing. Bankrolled by the Saudi’s General Entertainment Authority, Al-Sheikh’s influence has single-handedly changed the landscape of the sport.

Where once the best fighters tended to avoid each other, the riches on offer now see them tripping over themselves to get in the ring together in the kingdom. Anthony Joshua has fought in the country four times but the jewels in the crown are the two Oleksandr Usyk-Tyson Fury showdowns this year.

FOOTBALL

Newcastle fans celebrate the Saudi-led takeover of the club in October 2021 (Owen Humphreys/PA)

The purchase of a majority stake in Newcastle in 2021 thrust Saudi Arabia, and its Public Investment Fund (PIF), into the consciousness of fans across England.

Internationally, the Saudi Pro League has become a magnet to some of the world’s top stars including Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar, with rumours persisting that Mohamed Salah and Vinicius Junior are also on the shopping list of the country’s clubs.

A sponsorship deal worth 400m US dollars (£308.3m) with Saudi energy firm Aramco has solidified ties between the kingdom and FIFA. There have been suggestions Saudi Arabian money could now be invested into DAZN, which last week became the new global broadcast partner for FIFA’s Club World Cup after agreeing a reported one billion dollar (£784million) deal for the 2025 tournament.

FORMULA ONE

Red Bull Racing team principle Christian Horner speaks to the media during a team briefing on practice day ahead of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Jeddah, Saudia Arabia. Picture date: Thursday March 7, 2024.

Aramco struck a major 10-year sponsorship deal with the premier motorsport category in 2020, and since 2021 the kingdom has hosted a grand prix each season in Jeddah.

There were even reports in 2023 that the PIF wanted to buy the entire F1 series lock, stock and barrel.

GOLF

Jon Rahm is one of the star names to have signed lucrative deals with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf series (Robert Perry/PA)

The country is involved in the Ladies European Tour through sponsorship of the lucrative Aramco Team Series of events since 2020, and also funded the Saudi International on the DP World Tour from 2019 to 2021, a tournament which is now on the Asian Tour.

The PIF provided the funding for the launch of LIV Golf in 2022 and continue to support the breakaway league, which caused a damaging schism in the men’s professional game. Two-time major winner Jon Rahm was paid around 450m US dollars (£347.2m) to join for the 2024 season.

HORSE RACING

Saudi owners are nothing new in British racing but the Saudi Cup has established the country as a major winter target for trainers.

Since its inception in 2020, the contest has drawn an international cast to Riyadh every February, which is no surprise given it is the richest race in the world, with 2024 victor Senor Buscador taking over £7.8million back to the United States.

TENNIS

Jannik Sinner won the Six Kings Slam earlier this year (Zac Goodwin/PA)

In November the WTA Finals, the finale to the regular season, became the biggest women’s sports event to take place in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi also hosts the Next Gen ATP Finals, for the leading young male players, while the lucrative Six Kings Slam exhibition in October attracted a stellar field, and the PIF has sponsorship deals with both the ATP and WTA. Negotiations continue to enable the country to host a Masters 1000 event, which would represent a key breakthrough onto the main ATP Tour.