While… football is under siege, the Arab world is trying to achieve positive publicity and recognition in Europe and the rest of the world, a process that has become more evident than ever in the last two months after the World Cup in Qatar and the acquisition of Cristiano Ronaldo by an obscure Saudi club .

The record-breaking €200m-a-year deal for the 37-year-old Portuguese superstar is not the Arab world’s first major foray into European and world football. For at least 15 years, the Arabs, who arguably love football but did little before Morocco reached the semi-finals of the World Cup a month ago, have systematically attempted to infiltrate the lucrative world of European football as a means to greater recognition and build relationships that could be valuable in the post-oil world.

So began the sponsorship of great clubs, the naming of stadiums, and then the acquisition of top teams such as Manchester City from Abu Dhabi, Paris Saint-Germain from Qatar, Aston Villa from a major Egyptian businessman a year and a half ago. ago Newcastle from Saudi Arabia.

Investing in football is paying off in terms of image, even as Qatar has had a mostly negative reputation in the twelve years since capturing and hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup. fans, but also those who rely on the strength and feelings of the fans.

Thus, while other powers invest in defense deals and film or television production, others in the acquisition and operation of large enterprises and infrastructure such as ports, and still others in energy dependence and the supply of mercenary soldiers, the Arabs have chosen their own version of “soft power” (that is, soft power) to transfer through football.

And Riyadh’s regional rival, Qatar, won’t be able to grab attention at the World Cup if its big neighbor Saudi Arabia doesn’t take action. Saudi Arabia may have won an unlikely victory over Argentina in November – the only defeat of future world champions in the last 43 games – but Riyadh is launching several international football projects.

Sponsoring clubs, naming stadiums and acquiring the best teams and players of the past 15 years.

Often important players have made the decision to make their one-time move to a Saudi club, but Riyadh entered a new category when they did so after a year and a half of trying to acquire Newcastle shares. .

In addition, last May, Saudi Arabia announced an agreement with Lionel Messi to become the head of Argentina’s ambassador for Saudi tourism, which surprised many.

New joint efforts with Egypt and Greece to host the next FIFA World Cup in 2030 are part of the same framework.

But where… they broke the counters was with the acquisition of Ronaldo Al-Nasr for the next two and a half years, with an earnings of 22,830 euros per hour, even for those… hours that the peculiar Portuguese sleeps. For those who doubt, Ronaldo’s own statement was clear: “Saudi Arabia is a country with great ambition and potential.”

It is also characteristic that, as the Spanish press revealed, his contract stipulates that if Newcastle enters the Champions League, Ronaldo will be able to move to the Magpies, since a comfortable warehouse is good, and a showcase is better.

Greece and the World Cup

Akis Triantafyllos

It seems that only the formalization of the joint candidacy of Saudi Arabia – Egypt – Greece for the 2030 World Cup remains. Contacts between the three countries have been at a high level since last spring, and the bid for the commemorative World Cup, which will mark 100 years of establishment, is part of a broader strategic agreement – of a geopolitical nature. The dossier is being prepared in a coordinated manner and the plan is as follows: Saudi Arabia will bear the largest expenses, most of the games will be played in Riyadh, part in Cairo, and as for our country, it includes five field facilities. The reason for OAKA, G. Karaiskakis, OPAP Arena, as well as the new Panathinaikos stadium in Votanikos and the new Toumba. The problem that arises and can be solved by FIFA itself or through technical interventions is that minimum stadium capacity should be in the order of 40,000 spectators, and at this particular moment only OAKA meets the specifications If a specific proposal is implemented, which should compete with proposals from Spain, Portugal, Ukraine and Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay and Chile, this will be the first World Cup for 100 years of competition, which will be held on three continents.