Glamour friendlies, the possibility of another winter World Cup, world-class players arriving for hefty transfer fees: The Saudi Arabia football revolution could be here to stay.
Twelve months ago, the likes of Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kante playing in the Saudi Pro League would have seemed far fetched. For the 2023-24 season it's a reality and more could follow.
The country has grand ambitions with Ronaldo saying at the end of his first season that he could see the Pro League being mentioned among the top five in the world. At the moment, competing with Europe - the home of the Champions League and the best talent - is an ambition rather than a reality but with the likes of Manchester City's Treble-winning pair Bernardo Silva and Riyaz Mahrez being linked with moves, there is no shortage of offers.
