New era for Roshn Saudi League with more fans and more goals resulting in growth, engagement and entertainment worldwide

Al-Hilal’s Brazilian forward Neymar during the Saudi Pro League football match between Al-Hilal and Al-Riyadh at Prince Faisal Bin Fahd Stadium in Riyadh on Sept.15. (AFP)
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Updated 23 September 2023
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New era for Roshn Saudi League with more fans and more goals resulting in growth, engagement and entertainment worldwide

  • 26.3 percent more goals each week from younger squads help increase live matchday attendance by 25 percent in first six weeks of the season
  • 94 leading international players secured in registration window through new centralized approach to transfers and governance

RIYADH: In a new era for the Roshn Saudi League — Saudi Pro League — there has been considerable impact following the first month of the new 2023/24 season.

The introduction of world-class international talent to the league has resulted in significant engagement across local and international fans, increases in match-day attendance — as well as a rise in broadcasting revenue and digital growth.

After the six rounds of fixtures already completed ahead of the international break, attendance figures show a total of 440,003 across the stadiums, with a 25 percent increase on last year’s attendances for the same period, a study by the Saudi Pro League has revealed.

There is real evidence of growth on the pitch this season, with marquee signings such as Neymar, Karim Benzema, Roberto Firmino and many more in a highly competitive league alongside five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo.

With 94 overseas signings made this season through the newly launched Player Acquisition Center of Excellence, there are now 152 players from 47 different countries forming 29.1 percent of the player pool in the SPL. The new signings are integrating with Saudi Arabia national team players, including the successful Under-23 squad who won the 2022 AFC U23 Asian Cup.

This forms part of the SPL and Saudi Arabian Football Federation’s strategy to foster and develop local young talent alongside the best international players, as part of a drive to increase competitiveness on and off the pitch while ensuring a sustainable future.

The average age of players so far this season has been reduced by two years, falling from an average of 29-years-old to 27-years-old, across international and domestic players.

Results such as Al-Hilal’s thrilling 4-3 victory at Al-Ittihad, after trailing 3-1 in the Saudi El Clasico, also offer compelling evidence of an exciting product showcased globally. This was further reinforced by a goals average that has increased by 26.3 percent to 27.1 per week for the first six weeks of the fixtures, compared to 17 goals per week for the same period last term.

Saudi Pro League Director of Football Michael Emenalo said: “The Saudi Pro League has undergone a rapid and unprecedented transformation this season, where we have seen 94 players bought from around the world providing a centralized approach to governance, transfers, squad mapping and player care. It’s also allowed us to help to create clear developmental pathways for Saudi youth while also giving them immediate playing opportunities.”

On-the-pitch success has also aided off-the-pitch growth and the league’s ambitions across commercial, broadcast and digital channels.

There has been significant interest from local, regional and global brands, which will see the number of sponsors grow by about 75 percent this season, which would result in the SPL becoming the globe’s third most profitable league in sponsorship revenue.

Around the world, sports fans have engaged with the new season thanks to the network of international broadcast deals through 38 broadcasters. The league has deals across 140 territories with matches shown live on DAZN in multiple markets — Austria, Belgium, Canada, Germany and the UK — as well as major European broadcasters including Canal+ (France), Sport TV (Portugal), La 7 (Italy), Marca.com (Spain) and Cosmote (Greece).

These high-profile broadcast deals have caused a big increase in engagement with football fans around the world, and also increased league revenue by 650 percent, evidence of the SPL’s successful transformation strategy to grow revenue for league and clubs while increasing the commercial value of the league and attracting investors.

The leading international top 10 players across social media have combined connections of 1.5 billion — with 40 percent of that audience aged between 18-24 as the league reaches younger, more global, audiences.

While attendance and viewing figures are on the rise, there is further evidence of an increased interest in the Roshn Saudi League across younger audiences, with an organic growth of 1.5 million new social media followers across platforms including Instagram, Facebook, TikTok Snapchat and X, and data showing more than 150 million video views so far this season across all platforms.

Highlighting the international appeal of Saudi football, a newly launched official English Instagram account has attracted more than 200,000 followers in just a number of weeks, while Brazil, KSA, Morocco and Egypt have the highest number of followers per country.

Carlo Nohra, chief operating officer of the Saudi Pro League, said: “This is an exciting time for fans of football in Saudi, we are witnessing something very special. The combination of international stars and young Saudi talent is generating genuine excitement on and off the pitch, and also raising standards to the highest possible level among our own player pool in Saudi.

“The raised levels of interest in the Roshn Saudi League, both by football fans in the Kingdom and around the world, and in terms of the unprecedented number of potential global sponsorship opportunities, are clear evidence that the strategy is starting to work.

“We have a more competitive product, on and off the pitch, and we are moving to the next level in both areas, in line with our strategy. The next phase for us on this wonderful journey will be building infrastructure and developing the league further off the pitch, while ensuring we have a world-class product that engages and excites on the pitch,” he said.


“A Beautiful Gift“: Swiss women pioneers celebrate the game’s transformation

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“A Beautiful Gift“: Swiss women pioneers celebrate the game’s transformation

The mascot of the tournament, a Saint Bernard puppy, bears her name, Maddli, in recognition of her role in advancing women’s football in Switzerland
There are now 40,000 registered women players and 134 female referees in Switzerland, according to the Swiss FA

SION, Switzerland: On the terrace of a restaurant in the Swiss city of Sion sits a group of pioneers of women’s football in Switzerland who have seen the beautiful game change beyond recognition.

For ⁠72-year-old Madeleine Boll, seeing the city in the French-speaking part of Switzerland hosting three games in the Women’s European Championship, which is being staged across the country, is a proud moment.

The mascot of the tournament, a Saint Bernard puppy, bears her name, Maddli, in recognition of her role in advancing women’s football in Switzerland.

At 12 years old in 1965, Boll became the first woman in Switzerland to obtain a license to play football, with FC Sion’s boys’ youth team. But just months later it was taken away from her after the club said it had made an error.

“I was the happiest little girl. But the day they took away my license, I was the unhappiest because I didn’t understand why I was forbidden to play,” Boll told Reuters.

However, it marked the first in a series of landmark moments that enabled women’s inclusion in Swiss football.

By 1970 the first Swiss Women’s Football League was created, with Boll’s father, Jean Boll, its president. Madeleine later played for FC Sion, one of the earliest women’s football clubs in Switzerland.

“It’s a beautiful gift because it’s here that the beginnings of Swiss women’s football took root,” she said.

KEY MOMENT
A lot has changed since Boll and her generation played. There are now 40,000 registered women players and 134 female referees in Switzerland, according to the Swiss FA.

“It was different. We didn’t have jerseys, we didn’t have means to travel ... We had to make people understand that we are capable of playing,” said 72-year-old Rosemarie Siggen, from Sion who started playing football toward the end of the 1960s.

For Siggen and Boll, who were joined by four other footballing pioneers in the women’s game in Sion, this year’s tournament is a key moment to make strides in supporting women’s football.

“The Euros will be a catalyst,” Boll told Reuters, pointing to it as an opportunity for greater investment in the women’s game.

The Swiss hosts are hoping the legacy of the tournament — being played across eight cities over the next month — will bolster female football in the country as Euro 2022 did for champions England. It is aiming to double the number of female players by 2027, according to the Swiss FA.

“It’s a bit difficult for these young girls. They need help. I think there should be stronger support, a real investment ... we want to see them progress because they can bring many beautiful things,” said Siggen.

Boll hopes that the Switzerland side, who lost their first match of the tournament 2-1 to Norway, can continue to make strides with more financial support.

“If we want to have a good Swiss team ... it will be important that girls become professional because it is difficult ... to achieve results while having a job or being a student,” Boll said.

UEFA, the governing body for European soccer, announced a record 600,000 tickets have been sold for the tournament. Basel will host the final on July 27 at St. Jakob-Park, the largest football stadium in Switzerland.

Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah ‘truly lost for words’ after Diogo Jota death

Updated 04 July 2025
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Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah ‘truly lost for words’ after Diogo Jota death

  • ‘Teammates come and go but not like this,’ Salah wrote on X
  • Jota and brother Andre Silva died when Lamborghini they were in veered off a road and burst into flames

BEIRUT: Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah paid tribute to his teammate Diogo Jota on Friday, after the Portuguese international died in a car crash on Thursday in northern Spain.
“I am truly lost for words. Until yesterday, I never thought there would be something that would frighten me of going back to Liverpool after the break,” Salah said on social media platform X.
Jota perished alongside his brother, Andre Silva, when the Lamborghini they were in veered off a road and burst into flames, Spanish police said Thursday.
Having been teammates since Jota joined the Premier League champions in 2020, Salah wrote on X: “Teammates come and go but not like this. It’s going to be extremely difficult to accept that Diogo won’t be there when we go back.


“My thoughts are with his wife, his children, and of course his parents who suddenly lost their children. Those close to Diogo and his brother Andre need all the support they can get. They will never be forgotten.”
Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said he was “heartbroken” to learn about Jota’s death.
Klopp, who is Red Bull’s head of global soccer, had persuaded the Liverpool board to pay $62 million for Jota after he impressed at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
“This is a moment where I struggle! There must be a bigger purpose! But I can’t see it! I’m heartbroken to hear about the passing of Diogo and his brother Andre. Diogo was not only a fantastic player, but also a great friend, a loving and caring husband and father!” Klopp posted on Instagram.
The Spanish Guardia Civil said 28-year-old Jota and 25-year-old Silva were found dead near the northwestern city of Zamora. Jota’s death comes just weeks after he married his long-time partner, Rute Cardoso, while on vacation from a long season where he helped Liverpool win the Premier League title.
Upon getting married, Cardoso wrote in a social media post, “Yes to forever.” He leaves behind three children, the youngest born last year.


Russian foreign minister praises Al-Hilal’s ‘well-deserved’ win over Man City

Updated 04 July 2025
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Russian foreign minister praises Al-Hilal’s ‘well-deserved’ win over Man City

  • Sergey Lavrov hails victory in meeting with Saudi FM Prince Faisal bin Farhan
  • SPL team will play Fluminense in quarterfinal of Club World Cup on Friday

BEIRUT: Russia’s foreign minister on Friday congratulated Saudi Arabia and Al-Hilal following the team’s defeat of Manchester City in their FIFA Club World Cup round of 16 match earlier in the week.

“It was a remarkable and dramatic match and well-deserved victory,” Sergey Lavrov said during a meeting with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan in Moscow.

“I would like to conclude with congratulations to your football team Al-Hilal on a 4-3 win against Manchester City at the Club World Cup,” he said.

The meeting was part of the prince’s official visit aimed at strengthening relations between the two countries.

Lavrov’s comments caused a buzz on social media. One Russian user said on X: “Saudi Al-Hilal shines even in the corridors of power in Moscow!”

Several major news outlets also reported on Lavrov’s comments.

Sports editor Essa Aljokm wrote on X: “Al-Hilal on the political table … A team that translated the support of the leadership and the state, may God protect them, into the giant Saudi sports project. This time, it’s Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister.”

Al-Hilal made history on Monday night when they beat the English Premier League giants in Orlando. The Saudi Pro League team will now play Fluminense in the quarterfinal of the Club World Cup on Friday.

The Brazilian side beat Inter Milan 2-0 earlier on Monday.


Wimbledon pays tribute to Jota after Liverpool star’s death

Updated 04 July 2025
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Wimbledon pays tribute to Jota after Liverpool star’s death

  • Cabral was allowed to put the ribbon on his shirt sleeve for the second-round tie
  • “I know what he’s been through, what he conquered through his career and through his life,” he said

LONDON: Wimbledon paid tribute to Diogo Jota after the Liverpool star’s death as Portugal’s Francisco Cabral wore a black ribbon during his doubles match on Friday.

Cabral was allowed to put the ribbon on his shirt sleeve for the second-round tie after the All England Club relaxed its strict all-white dress code to allow tributes to the Portugal forward.

Jota, 28, and his brother Andre Silva died in a car crash in northern Spain while traveling to catch a ferry to England ahead of the start of pre-season training.

The accident came just days after Jota’s wedding to Rute Cardoso, with whom he had three children.

Cabral said he was driving to Wimbledon when he heard the news and praised Jota as “an idol, such an icon, such a good person.”

“I know what he’s been through, what he conquered through his career and through his life. So he’s just very inspiring for me,” he said after losing with Austrian partner Lucas Miedler against Czech duo Petr Nouza and Patrik Rikl.

“I just wish all the best for his family. I know they have good people around them so I hope they can get through it.”

British doubles player Neal Skupski, a passionate Liverpool fan, had also brought a black armband for his match on Thursday but opted not to wear it.

He suggested he may wear one later in the tournament, saying: “Maybe in the next couple of days.”


Al-Hilal stars hitting new heights at FIFA Club World Cup

Updated 04 July 2025
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Al-Hilal stars hitting new heights at FIFA Club World Cup

  • In three of the Riyadh club’s four matches in the US, different Al-Hilal players have received the Man of the Match award

DUBAI: Whenever called upon, collectively and individually, Al-Hilal’s players have stepped up at just the right moments at the FIFA Club World Cup.

Not many teams concede three goals against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City and live to tell the tale. But that is exactly what Al-Hilal did on June 30 with their incredible 4-3 win in the Round of 16.

In just a few short weeks, new coach Simone Inzaghi looks to have transformed the team tactically and mentally after a disappointing season that saw them relinquish the much-craved Saudi Pro League title.

Fans and analysts have praised the intricate passing style that Inzaghi’s team has displayed in their four matches, which have delivered two draws — including one against Real Madrid in Miami — and a win in the group stages, before the famous victory over the former Premier League champions.

What has been striking as well is the standout performance of several individuals, with different Al-Hilal players being awarded the Man of the Match in three of the four encounters.

Even in the one match they did not receive the award, the 1-1 draw against Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid on June 18, it could be argued that the outstanding player of the match was Salem Al-Dawsari, who gave debutant Trent Alexander-Arnold a difficult first half from the left wing. Instead, the vote went to Gonzalo Garcia.

The 0-0 draw with Red Bull Salzburg at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. on June 22 saw Hilal goalkeeper Yassine Bounou follow up his penalty-saving heroics in the opener with another outstanding performance, ensuring the Saudi team secured a point and went into the last matchday with all to play for.

 

 

Against Pachuca CF of Mexico on June 26 in Nashville, it was the turn of inspirational captain Al-Dawsari to be acclaimed with the Man of the Match award after scoring the opening goal in a 2-0 win that saw Al-Hilal progress to the knockout stages of the tournament.

 

 

Meanwhile, the epic win over Manchester City in Orlando was marked by a two-goal performance from Brazilian forward Marcos Leonardo, who accepted the Man of the Match award in emotional circumstances.

Al-Hilal will now face Fluminense of Brazil on Friday evening in Orlando for a place in the semifinals of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup against either Palmeiras or Chelsea.

Who will be the next star to step up for the Blues?