Are billions flooding into Saudi Pro League helping national team?Figure caption, Saudi Arabia hold off relentless Uruguay to earn drawByNeil JohnstonBBC Sport journalistPublished22 minutes agoCristiano Ronajdo. Karim Benzema. Neymar. Sadio Mane.The list of world-class talent who have chosen to play in the Saudi Pro League has risen over the years.But could the presence of these multiple Champions League and Ballon d’Or winners be finally benefitting the nation that has been selected to host the 2034 World Cup?Over the years the Saudi Arabia national team has struggled on the world stage.At the 2002 World Cup they suffered a humiliating 8-0 defeat against Germany in their first group game in Japan. They exited the tournament without a point – or a goal.However, the performance of the national team has steadily improved since the Saudi Pro League started throwing money at attracting big names.In Russia in 2018, Saudi Arabia beat an Egypt team that included Mohamed Salah 2-1 thanks to Salem al Dawsari’s late winner.And, four years later in Qatar, they sent shockwaves around the world by defeating Argentina in their opening game, with Al Dawsari again the scorer of the iconic winning goalOn Monday, they launched their seventh appearance at the World Cup with a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Uruguay in Miami.
Are the days of 8-0 thumpings on the world stage a thing of the past?
“We have to teach the young players here what it takes so they can move to other clubs,” reported Benzema after joining Saudi Arabian champions Al-Ittihad in 2023.
“It’s a good league and there are many good players.”
