Saudi League Kicks Off

As the Saudi Pro League kicks off its new season on Friday, it will mark the beginning of a new era for football in the Gulf country, which has spent close to $500 million luring top players and coaches away from storied European powerhouses.

Last season, Al-Ahli and Al-Hazm competed in the second division. This season, they will square off in the league's first game, attracting attention from spectators across the world to star-studded teams that were only a pipe dream a year ago.

Al-Ittihad, Al-Hilal, and Al-Nassr, three current champions, are part of the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) scheme to invest in and privatize teams. One of the few clubs that benefit from this effort is Al-Ahli.

When Champions League champions like Riyad Mahrez, Edouard Mendy, and Roberto Firmino line up in their team's shirt on Friday, Al-Ahli supporters may scratch their heads in astonishment, but one might understand that.

The PIF set a pattern for what football fans might anticipate in upcoming transfer windows as Saudi clubs spent about 450 million euros on player acquisition during the close season, with the majority of those players coming from premier European teams.

When Cristiano Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr last season just after the World Cup in a deal that made him the highest-paid athlete on the globe, the league was taken aback.

The Portugal forward's move paved the way for more household names to sign up for a Saudi league that has increased its size from 16 teams to 18.

Ronaldo's Al-Nassr lost out on the title to Al-Ittihad, who wasted no time in reinforcing their team, with coach Nuno Espirito Santo bringing in Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema, N'Golo Kante, Fabinho and Jota.

But Al-Ittihad will face stiff competition for the title from Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal this season.