Saudi Arabia’s push to become a football powerhouse has been impossible to ignore, but the longer view is beginning to change the early narrative. The Saudi Pro League (SPL) pushed the boat out financially to attract big-name players, which initially made the competition more appealing to broadcasters and sponsors. The reputable Arabic betting sites featured on the arabswin.com/en/ sportsbook comparison platform have also helped to raise the SPL’s profile by offering odds throughout the season. However, despite the additional exposure, the SPL is still viewed as a footballing backwater. That status could ultimately ruin Saudi Arabia’s hopes of becoming a big-hitter in football.

Saudi’s Rapid Rise & the Chinese Super League Echo

The Chinese Super League (CSL) followed a similar route to the SPL – aggressive recruitment, inflated wages, global attention and eventually structural strain. What separates Saudi Arabia’s project is scale and coordination, not scattergun spending or a short-term flex. Being state-backed meant the project could move in ways the Chinese model never could, attracting superstar players it simply couldn’t reach.

However, relevance in football is not sustained by signings alone – it is built on continuity, shaped by competition and grounded in consequence. Poor attendance figures have not helped matters.

Some fixtures have been played in near-empty stadiums, a visual disconnect that money cannot mask. Extreme heat, cultural adjustment and the absence of organic rivalry have chipped away at the weekly rhythm that players and supporters take for granted in Europe.

The CSL’s collapse was sudden, but the erosion began quietly. The contracts of players and coaches were honoured until they weren’t, and players began to leave as quickly as they had arrived.

What remains striking is not just that Saudi Arabia is losing players, but that these departures are beginning before the project has even settled – that is the stage where history usually intervenes.

From Destination to Stopover

Europe remains the reference point for prestige, competition and national team relevance. That reality has not changed and does not seem like it will, regardless of salary.

Neymar, Joao Cancelo and Sadio Mane have all suffered dramatic drops in their market value after their Saudi stints. Moussa Diaby arrived from Aston Villa for €60 million and now sits nearly half that valuation, less than two seasons later.

Player exits began a year ago with Jordan Henderson and Jhon Duran leaving early. Gabri Veiga lasted two years before moving back to Europe last summer, the same path taken by Aymeric Laporte, who walked away despite the status and the salary.

N’Golo Kante, once framed as a long-term pillar, left for Turkey in January 2026. His departure continued a worrying trend for the SPL.

Players generally notice patterns faster than leagues expect, moving with the mindset that a year or two in Saudi Arabia is manageable, whereas longer stays carry risk.

If the flow becomes one-directional again, online engagement follows suit, as fans watch where narratives develop, not where careers idle. Without churn at the top end, viewership thins along with the sense of relevance the league depends on.

World Cup Gravity

The 2026 World Cup quietly influenced the transfers that happened in January.

Selection remains tied to competition level, as players understand that visibility matters as much as form – a calculation that is pulling careers back toward Europe.

National coaches have not been subtle. Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman ruled Steven Bergwijn out after his Saudi move, and similar signals have been prevalent elsewhere.

January 2026 showed the shift as Cancelo and Kante left, while others followed in a move that was no coincidence. Ultimately, World Cups compress timelines and footballers shorten experiments when the stakes rise.

Saudi Arabia will continue to attract names, specifically those who are only money-orientated, as it has the financial resources few leagues can rival. What it does not yet have is proof that it can hold players through the most important years of their careers.