In the ever-evolving world of soccer, a recent surge of top-tier players making their way to the Saudi Arabian League has sparked intense debates among fans. Stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar Jr, and Karim Benzema were offered hundreds of millions of dollars to come and play in Saudi Arabia. Some moved, while others like Kylian Mbappe, who was offered over 700 million dollars in wages, refused.
As a fan of the sport, Luke Georgeson, a junior at Rocklin High School (RHS) said, “I don’t know how to feel, to be honest. Personally, the Champions League (a European competition) is one of the most exciting competitions I watch, and some of my favorite players are not in it anymore.” Taking a more skeptical stance, senior Farhad Sultani strongly opposed this migration. “Seeing this in live action isn’t something I would want to see,” he said. “I believe Europe is where the top competition is, and that is where the top players should be, not in some Saudi League, especially in their prime.” Reshad Ahmadi, on the other hand, embraces change in the soccer hierarchy. “There is definitely some change happening in the soccer world. In a way … I support it.”
But why are these stars making this shift? Is it truly about believing in the “Saudi Project,” as some claim, or are there other motives at play? Georgeson is skeptical of players’ claims regarding the “Saudi Project.” He said, “Looking at the amount of money they are receiving, it makes me question that … the belief in the ‘Saudi Project’ is the only reason they are going.” Sultani dismissed the “Saudi Project.” Laughing, he said, “The Saudi Project … What about the European projects that are going on? They are at the top of the game and they decide to go to the bottom and risk it all for the belief in the project …”
Ahmadi, however, entertains the possibility that there’s more to the story. “I don’t know what’s true, to be honest,” he said. “But I think they could be telling the truth even though they are earning a lot of money just by going there. There could be something behind the scenes … like an amazing upcoming project.”
The soul of soccer, often described as the beautiful game, is at stake. Is this mass migration potentially ruining it? Georgeson believes that players are more interested in the money than the game itself. “In a way, it is, since they are not going there to play the game just to play the game,” he said. Likewise, Sultani is firm in his belief that the game is being badly harmed. “Yes, most definitely ruining the game. I always had a thought in the back of my head about how or what if someday the love for the game goes away for the players I love watching, and guess what happened,” he said. Ahmadi takes a more measured stance.”I wouldn’t say it is ruining the game,” he said. “That is pretty harsh to say, but it is not something that I wanted to see.”
Georgeson does see the potential for the league’s rise. “From what I see and from what is happening recently, it definitely has the potential to become a top-five league,” he said. Sultani also recognizes this as a possibility. “In today’s world or even in today’s sports world, money matters a lot. Money could be something that attracts youth to go to Saudi, and if all the top potential young players go there, I don’t see why it doesn’t become a top five,” he said. Ahmadi firmly believes in the league’s potential ascent. “Yeah, I truly believe that it will become a top 5 league … They are even offering big money to young players, 15-16 years of age, in their lower division. If they do that, they will definitely become top five in no time.”
As the soccer world grapples with these shifts, it remains to be seen whether the Saudi League will emerge as a force to be reckoned with or just another league in the sport’s history. Only one thing is certain — the debate is far from over.
