세계 스포츠 스타 유치의 명암

Saudi Arabia Reshapes Global Sports by Signing Superstars

Over the past few years, Saudi Arabia has consecutively recruited global superstars — Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Karim Benzema, and others — shaking the landscape of international sport. This is not merely a matter of player contracts; it is a core pillar of the culture and entertainment hub strategy central to Vision 2030. From the moment Cristiano Ronaldo pulled on the Al-Nassr jersey in 2023, the league's standing changed. Ronaldo's annual salary is approximately $200 million (around 270 billion won), and in June 2025 he extended his contract to remain with Al-Nassr FC until 2027. Stadiums filled with fans from around the world, and his jerseys sold out rapidly. Brazilian star Neymar also made headlines in the summer of 2023 when he moved from Paris Saint-Germain to Saudi's Al Hilal SFC — for a reported transfer fee of approximately 90 million euros (about 130 billion won) and an annual salary exceeding $100 million.

▲ Ronaldo at Al-Nassr FC — Source: Saudi Press Agency

Golf also saw significant change. LIV Golf, launched in 2022, created a new competitive structure against the PGA Tour by signing world-class players, driving structural shifts in international golf. In boxing and combat sports, the proposed 'big match' between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua generated enormous interest, and Saudi Arabia hosted several major bouts, emerging as a new global centre for combat sport.

▲ (L) LIV Golf team — Source: Ryder Cup; (R) Fury vs Joshua — Source: DAZN

Club Privatisation Policy and the Media, Events and Investment Strategy

From 2023 the Saudi government began implementing its Sports Club Privatisation Program in earnest, opening the previously PIF-centric structure to private and foreign capital. As its first result, in 2025 the UK's Harburg Group acquired Al-Kholood FC in full — creating the first entirely foreign-owned club in Saudi football history. Saudi Arabia has also been extending its influence across the broadcast, media, and investment ecosystem. In 2025, SURJ Sports Investment — under the sovereign wealth fund — made an approximately $1 billion investment in global sports streaming platform DAZN, entering the broadcast rights market in force. It has also worked with the ATP Tour to host the Middle East's first Masters 1000 tennis tournament, and staged the Esports World Cup in Riyadh with a record $70 million prize pool, expanding beyond football and golf into a wide range of sports.

In October 2025, the Six Kings Slam was held at ANB Arena in Riyadh. Top-ranked players including Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz competed in a three-day tournament, marking Saudi Arabia's formal entry into the global tennis market.

▲ Six Kings Slam tennis tournament — Source: Saudi Tourism Authority

Risks Seen Through the Experiences of Korean and Other Players

As the sports industry expands rapidly, cases have emerged requiring operational adjustment. In the case of Al Shabab FC, where Korean national goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu played, local media reported that salary payments were delayed at one point. The club subsequently reached an agreement with its players and put measures in place to prevent a recurrence. Such cases highlight the need to strengthen institutional foundations in the course of rapid industrial growth. Nevertheless, Korean players continue to move to Saudi Arabia steadily — active not only in the professional league but in a range of sports, including the e-sports team Team Falcons.

▲ Kim Seung-gyu and team at Al Shabab FC — Source: Al Shabab FC

Strategic Advantages and the Challenge of Sustainability

Saudi Arabia's sports investment has drawn international attention in a short time and driven remarkable growth in national branding and tourism. With global mega-events continuing to arrive — the FIFA Club World Cup, boxing big matches, a new tennis Masters — Saudi Arabia is firmly establishing itself as a genuine sports hub. However, experts continue to point to sustainability as a major challenge: without also strengthening league competitiveness, developing youth talent, and guaranteeing players' rights, this spectacular investment could remain a temporary phenomenon. The Saudi sports industry is projected to grow to approximately $22.4 billion by 2030, but whether that growth translates into genuine cultural exchange and industrial self-sufficiency depends on the institutional evolution that follows.

Saudi Arabia's recruitment of world stars has clearly delivered the 'light' — drawing rapid international attention and laying the groundwork for broader growth across sport and tourism. But the 'shadow' remains too: questions of operational stability, institutional grounding, and long-term sustainability that rapid expansion always leaves behind. For Korean players and fans, these changes represent new opportunities for exchange — but the long-term health of Saudi sport will depend on whether these foundations can be built to last.