Does the flow of money into the Saudi Pro League help the national team? Saudi Arabia scores a nice point against Uruguay at the 2026 World Cup

Cristiano Ronaldo. Karim Benzema. Neymar. Sadio Mane. The list of world top players who have chosen the Saudi Pro League in recent years is impressive. The question now is: does that wave of expertise and investments translate into visible progress for the Saudi Arabian national team? The start at the 2026 World Cup - a 1-1 against Uruguay in Miami - provides further reason for this.

Historically, Saudi Arabia has not always featured on the global stage. The traumatic 8-0 loss to Germany at the 2002 World Cup in Japan is etched in the memory. But since the Pro League has invested heavily in attracting big names, a gradual revival has been visible. In 2018 in Russia, Egypt – with Mohamed Salah – was defeated 2-1 thanks to a late goal by Salem Al Dawsari. Four years later, in Qatar, the same Al Dawsari caused a world shock by scoring the winning goal against Argentina in the opening match.

Miami also had a recognizable and balanced team. With one exception – right back Saud Abdulhamid who plays for Lens in France – the Saudi base consists mainly of players from their own league. The Green Falcons combine experience with new talent: captain Salem Al Dawsari (34) is in his third World Cup, while 22-year-old playmaker Musab Al Juwayr provided the most assists (3) in qualifying and is seen as a permanent fixture for the coming years. Central defender Abdulelah Al Amri, Ronaldo's teammate at Al-Nassr, opened the scoring against Uruguay. This made him the first Saudi defender ever to score accurately at a World Cup, and it was also the first Saudi goal from a corner at a World Cup. Remarkable: it was the first time since 1994 (1-0 against Belgium) that Saudi Arabia scored the opening goal at a World Cup; This did not work in the 16 matches before that.


The influx of stars was accompanied by enormous amounts of money: more than 700 million pounds was paid for, among others, Neymar, Benzema and Riyad Mahrez, who joined the project that previously started with Ronaldo. Sadio Mane followed in 2023. “The Saudi League is a very good competition, watched by everyone in the world,” said the former Liverpool striker. Benzema called it “a good competition with many good players” and emphasized the importance of exemplary behavior towards young talents. Ronaldo, who has now scored his hundredth goal in the Pro League, even went so far as to state that the level is higher than in the North American MLS.

While 2023 was the peak in attracting arriving stars, the focus has now shifted to younger profiles with resale value, according to sources in Riyadh. However, there remains a budget for an exceptional star - a name like Mohamed Salah is mentioned, with Al-Ittihad as a potential destination, provided the conditions are right.

On a sporting level, Saudi Arabia made a bold decision just before the tournament. Just 59 days before the meeting with Uruguay, national coach Hervé Renard - the architect of the victory over Argentina in 2022 - was replaced by the Greek Georgios Donis. In Miami, that adventure seemed to get off to a flying start. The Saudis defended compactly and disciplined and seemed on their way to a stunt victory, until Maxi Araujo equalized in the 80th minute. “Saudi Arabia will be very disappointed that they have yet to score a goalbecause defensively it was very close: in mutual distances, in the formation and between the lines,” analyzed former Scottish international Rachel Corsie.

Yet the conclusion remains positive: the image of the past – hopeless and with extensive defeats – seems far away. With a core that is almost entirely active in its own competition and trains every day against and with international stars, Saudi Arabia appears more mature and efficient. The rest of this 2026 World Cup will tell whether the millions in the Saudi Pro League will structurally take the national team to a higher level. The first indication, against a strong opponent like Uruguay, is certainly encouraging.