American money arrives at Saudi Pro League while Ronaldo is committed for two more years | Saudi Pro League

TThe Saudi Saudi Pro League season starts on Thursday, just before the international break, when Cristiano Ronaldo will probably make the headlines saying that the Saudi Pro League is one of the first five in the world. If this is the case, the 40-year-old is required to reference that Al-Hilal reaching the quarter-finals of the Club World Cup, drawing with Real Madrid then beating Manchester City 4-3. There is now something else, however, that the league has in common with its European counterparts – American money.

In July, the Ministry of Sports announced that three clubs had passed in private hands. Al-Kholood, the only higher level, was taken up by an American investment company, the Harburg group, led by venture capital investor Ben Harburg. “The first three Saudi sports clubs were privatized thanks to a public offer – Al Ansar, Al Kholood and Al Zulfi – with their property transferred to investment entities,” said the ministry

He is part of a league strategy to bring foreign money. The construction of the Al-Kholood brand is not going to be easy: the club has spent a large part of their history outside the upper level and is not based in Riyadh or in the port of the Red Sea of ​​Jeddah, but Ar Rass, a city of 120,000 people about 250 miles north of the capital. But there is something to work.

Al-Kholood was promoted in 2024 and finished ninth last season, helped by 15 goals from the International Myziane Maolida de Comoros and a defense including the Nigerian central defender William Troost-Ekong. The new owners have brought the English director of Buckingham. The 40 -year -old won the Indian Super League with Mumbai City, which is part of the city’s football group, and obtained a promotion with Oxford United in the championship in 2024 before his dismissal in December, which thought it severely, after bad results.

If the second level of England is considered to be the most competitive and the most open of leagues, the SPL is not bad either in terms of potential winners, with a big oven or even five in the running. In the summer of 2023, Al-Ittihad and Al-Ahli of Djeddah and their rivals from Riyadh al-Hilal and Al-Nassr were taken up by the public investment fund, then the oil company Aramco was involved with Al-Qadsiah. These are the first five last season.

Al-Ittihad was champion. The Tigers deserved the title, helped by the objectives of Karim Benzema, aid of Moussa Diaby and the midfielder of N’Golo Kanté. Laurent Blanc kept the team together.

Al-Hilal finished second after losing his way in the second half of the season. It cost Jorge Jesus his work as a head coach and came Simone Inzaghi. The Italian impressed during the club World Cup and the addition of Darwin Núñez to the attack means that the 19 times champions, who tend to bounce after disappointment, are the team to beat, even if his best player last season, Salem al-Dawsari, is 34 years old.

Al-Nassr de Ronaldo was following, helped by a late decision which gave them three points and third place (and the entry into the competition of Asian clubs) after losing against the opponents who were found to an ineligible player. Stefano Pioli arrived from Italy a month after the start of last season, but the Italian coach never seemed to be settled while the yolks counted on moments of brilliance of their star men. It is not surprising that he left in summer. In a movement similar to Mikel Arteta leaving Arsenal in May and presenting himself in Tottenham in July, Jesus returned to Riyadh.

The Portuguese director veteran can call on Ronaldo after his compatriot signed a new contract for two more years. Jhon Durán left, and to come Kingsley Coman from Bayern Munich and João Félix, who opened his account in the Super Cup thanks to a decisive pass from Ronaldo. The five -time winner of Ballon d’Or is 61 goals below 1,000 goals (and the only player to reach a century for four clubs) and would not bother to lift a first major trophy in Saudi Arabia as he approaches his three -year birthday. Having Jesus, who led Al-Hilal in a dominant title in 2024 and established a sequence of record victories of 34 games on the way, could make the difference.

Al-Ahli finished fifth, but compensated for a relatively disappointing national campaign by winning the Asian Champions League for the first time in May. Ivan Toney, after taking the time to settle down, quickly forged an understanding with Riyad Mahrez and found himself as top scorer with 23, two more than Benzema and two behind Ronaldo. Al-Qadsiah finished fourth in their first season after the promotion and would have been third, but for the late document of three points from Al-Nassr. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang left for Marseille but was replaced by the Italian striker Mateo Retagui, signed by Atalanta for nearly 60 million pounds sterling.

Among the others, there will be attention to Neom SC, a promoted club that represents a city to be built. The former manager of Paris Saint-Germain, Christophe Galtier, is responsible for the funds available to him. Even so, the Big Five will become the Big Six for the moment.