Is sport really all about money? Some of the world’s greatest footballers are moving to Saudi Arabia for incredible sums. Some fans think we face a battle for the sport’s soul.
Top striker latest lured by Saudi salary
Is sport really all about money? Some of the world's greatest footballers are moving to Saudi Arabia for incredible sums. Some fans think we face a battle for the sport's soul.
There were smiles all around as renowned football player Karim Benzema bade farewell to his beloved Real Madrid.
Benzema has a good reason to look happy. He has signed a new contract with the Saudi ArabianThe second-largest country in the Arab world, with a population of nearly 35 million. team Al-Ittihad. He will earn around £96m per year from it.
Saudi Arabia is not usually regarded as a sporting superpower. But it has been slowly muscling in. In 2021, the country's de factoSomething that happens in practice, in contrast to that which happens de jure, or according to the law. ruler Mohamed Bin Salman bought English club Newcastle United.
Now, it is improving its own teams by buying icons. In December, Saudi team Al Nassr netted Cristiano RonaldoA Portuguese football player, known as one of the best in the world. for £177m a year.1
Many fans are angered by these moves. Traditionally, teams hired local players who were supported by a local fanbase. In return, they remained loyal to their team.
This all changed in the 1990s with the Premier LeagueEngland's highest level of men's football. . Football became international, and big business. Owning a football team became a mark of wealth. The ultra-wealthy bought teams and spent vast sums on star players. To make the money back, they increased ticket and merchandise prices, sometimes making them out of reach for long-term fans.
Some see money as having a distorting influence on the game itself. Manchester City is owned by the president of the United Arab EmiratesA country in the Middle East, and the location of Dubai. ' brother, who has an estimated net worthThe amount of assets or money that a person has after their debts have been taken away. of £17bn. Is it any wonder the team has won the Premier League three years in a row?
Yet others believe there is still something else in sport. For Saudi Arabia, it is about power and reputation. Its rulers stand accused of human rights abuses. By supporting sport, they aim to improve their global standing.
Superstar players and billionaire owners are a tiny minority. Many American footballers, says writer Jacob Harris, "end up broke and broken". A recent survey of 500 elite athletes found that 60% did not see themselves as financially stable. For many, sport is about everything but the money.
Is sport really all about money?
Yes: Sport is yet another way for the rich to get richer. As commentator Simon Heffer writes: "Football is not, in my view, a sport: it is somewhere between a business racket and a mental illness."
No: Sport is more popular than ever. In 2020, 45.4% of Europeans played sport once a week. A record 1.5bn people watched last year's World Cup final. Few of these people are in it for the money.
Or... Former player Gary Neville says: "Football is a representation of current society. We have an elite. But we also have clubs that need food banks." Sport is simply a reflection of the world.
Keywords
Saudi Arabian - The second-largest country in the Arab world, with a population of nearly 35 million.
De facto - Something that happens in practice, in contrast to that which happens de jure, or according to the law.
Cristiano Ronaldo - A Portuguese football player, known as one of the best in the world.
Premier league - England's highest level of men's football.
United Arab Emirates - A country in the Middle East, and the location of Dubai.
Net worth - The amount of assets or money that a person has after their debts have been taken away.
Top striker latest lured by Saudi salary
Glossary
Saudi Arabian - The second-largest country in the Arab world, with a population of nearly 35 million.
De facto - Something that happens in practice, in contrast to that which happens de jure, or according to the law.
Cristiano Ronaldo - A Portuguese football player, known as one of the best in the world.
Premier league - England's highest level of men's football.
United Arab Emirates - A country in the Middle East, and the location of Dubai.
Net worth - The amount of assets or money that a person has after their debts have been taken away.